First Fleet artwork collection

Bird in profile, facing to the right, perched on a branch against a plain background. The upper parts of the bird are predominantly green overlaid with black hatched lines, with a blue patch around the eye, and brown wing feathers. The underparts are white, overlaid with brown hatched lines on the chin and throat. The drawing is framed by a pencil border and annotated in ink and pencil.

• Port Jackson Painter]
• The drawing is annotated in ink at bottom "The Natural Size - This rare and curious Bird, has a singular whistling note. It is often seen pursueing smaller Birds the general likeness is good, and is a strong copy.". This appears to have been copied from an annotation on the reverse of the drawing.
• The drawing is unsigned and undated
• The drawing is inscribed in ink at top right with the number "146.". This refers to the catalogue list compiled by John Latham c. 1801 which was acquired with the drawings, and is filed with them at the end of the Watling Drawings series.
• The drawing is annotated in pencil at top "Blue cheeked Thrush. Latham Syn Suppt. 2. p. 184.". This has been copied in ink at bottom, "Blue cheeked Thrush . Latham Syn Suppt. 2. p. 184.". The page reference is to Latham's Second Supplement to the General Synopsis of Birds (1802).
• This bird was more recently identified as the Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis in Hindwood K. A. (1970).
• The drawing is annotated in pencil at top "Lambert Drawing II. 36". This refers to a related set of drawings from the collections of the 13th Earl of Derby, held in the Library at Knowsley Hall, Lancashire.
• The drawing is annotated on the reverse in pale brown ink "This rare & curious bird has a Singular Whistling note, it is often seen pursueing smaller birds - the general likeness is good & furnishes a strong copy".
• The author of this catalogue record is Suzanne Stenning.
• By permission of the trustees of the Natural History Museum (London)
• Two sets of transparencies held in the Natural History Museum (London) Zoology Library and Picture Library: Picture Library reference number 12225
• James Lee of Kensington : purchased ; 1902
• Data sheet available.
• Latham, John. Supplement II to the General Synopsis of Birds. London: Leigh, Sotheby, 1802.
• Hindwood K. A. 'The "Watling" drawings with incidental notes on the "Lambert" and the "Latham" drawings', Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales for the years 1968-69 (1970).