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).

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.

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.

Item consists of a colour illustration of a black bird with red throat and chest perched among yellow fruit. No caption. Figures have been cut out and pasted on sheet.

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.

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."

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).

Item consists of leaf with engraved illustration of scorpion pasted on. Background details are drawn in in pencil, with branch coloured in. Later caption in Casey Woods's hand reads: "The drawing in this portfolio are probably those made to illustrate Forbes' 'Oriental Memoirs'."