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Natural history

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"New-Holland Tern"
Artist: Watling, Thomas
Created: [between 1792 and 1797]
Dimensions: 24.4 x 19 cm
Reference: Watling Drawing - no. 342

 
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Bird in profile, facing to the right. It is depicted standing on a riverbank next to a waterfall, with water in the foreground and a landscape of blue hills in the distance. The bird is predominantly dark brown, paler towards the wing tips, with white underparts and white patches on the wing and tail. The drawing is framed by a pencil border and annotated in ink and pencil.

 
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  • Thomas Watling]
  • The drawing is annotated in ink at bottom "New South Wales" (in black ink) "This almost half the natural size, and a pretty good re- semblance, with this exception, - only the bill not just so much bent." (in brown ink, possibly in Watling's informal hand).
  • The drawing is signed in black ink at lower right "Thomas Watling, delt.", but is undated.
  • The drawing is inscribed in ink at top right with the number "274.". 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 "New Holland Tern La. MS". This has been copied in brown ink at bottom, "New Holland Tern Latham MS". "Latham MS" refers to the manuscript catalogue list compiled by John Latham (see note above).
  • This bird was more recently identified as the Sooty Tern, Sterna fuscata in Hindwood K. A. (1970).
  • The drawing is annotated in pencil at top "Lambert Drawing III. 37.". 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 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 12342
  • James Lee of Kensington : purchased ; 1902
  • Data sheet available.
  • 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).