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Archival description
Rare Books and Special Collections James Forbes Zoological Drawings With digital objects
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Otis the Ruffed Bustard

Item consists of colour illustration of ruffed bustard, with note: "A beautiful Variety of the Otis Tarda, 1811." Additional inscription in pencil underneath includes the scientific name: "Chlamydotis undulata undulata."

Upupa Epops

Item consists of a colour illustration of a hoopoe poised on a Kamala orange branch next to a butterfly in flight, with identification, description, and two lines of verse written in pen in contemporary hand: Upupua Epops, Buff. Hodod, Hind. A beautiful variety of the Indian Sultana; On the Comlah, or Chinese Orange, from Aurung-abad. Drawn 1767. Copied 1811.

Baskets, which golden Comlahs held,/
Like Topazes with Amrit* swell'd.

(*Nectar)

The Nest of the Bottle Sparrow

Item consists of a colour drawing of a sparrow poised on a gum arabic tree branch next to a butterfly (eggfly or blue moon butterfly) in flight, with identification and description in pen in contemporary hand: "The Nest of the Bottle Sparrow on a Branch of the Baubul Tree with the Purpled Eyed Butterfly." Additional later pencil notes provide additional identification for the butterfly, "Hypolimnas bolina Linn [India])," and indicate that the image corresponds to Forbes's Oriental Memoirs, 1813, volume 1, page 48. Also contains additional annotations by Henry Mousley with citations and speculation as to the origin of the butterfly (New Zealand).

A small White Owl

Item consists of a colour illustration of an owl poised on a branch, with description in pen in contemporary hand: A small White owl, of the natural size: drawn and colored from Nature, on the Island of Salsette. 1783. Figure has been cut out and pasted on sheet with background details pencilled in.

Bird of prey on a branch

Item consists of a colour illustration of a type of raptor, possibly a brahminy kite, perched on a branch. No caption. Figure has been cut out and pasted onto sheet.

Green bird on branch

Item consists of a colour illustration of a green bird with red head, white throat, and dark tailfeathers, perched on a branch. No caption. Figure has been cut out and pasted on sheet.

A Variety in the Shooter Sun

Item consists of a colour illustration of a sea snake, among flowers. Figures have been cut out and pasted onto sheet, with background details drawn in. The caption describes the subject as "a large Water Snake, found in salt Marshy Grounds." An additional annotation in pencil by Henry Mousley identifies the species as: "Hydrophis obscurus."

A young Cobra de Capello in Guzerat

Item consists of a partial illustration of a cobra. Figure has been cut out and pasted onto sheet, with background details drawn in. The caption reads: "This is a variety in the Hooded Snakes of Hindostan; in which Mr. Russell remarks are many slight variations both in form and color. Copied J Forbes 1813." An additional annotation in pencil by Henry Mousley reads: "Naia tripudians imm.?"

Cobra and pink flowers

Item consists of a colour illustration depicting a brown cobra and pink, five-petalled flowers, without caption. Figures have been cut out and pasted onto sheet with background details drawn in. An annotation in pencil by Henry Mousley reads: "Naia tripudians?" Verso contains beginning of sketch of building and landscape (very faint).

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