NHD6

McCLELLAND, JOHN (1800-1883)

Dr. John McClelland had come to Bengal as an Assistant Surgeon in 1830, and soon became well known for his keen interest in natural history, especially geology. He officiated as Superintendent of the Calcutta Garden from 1846-1848 and again in 1858. He started the ‘Calcutta Magazine of Natural History’ in 1840 and edited the ‘Calcutta Journal of Natural History’ from 1841 to 1847. See Archer's Natural History Drawings in the India Office Library, pp.41-3. For a modern scientific discussion of the collection, see E.C. Dickinson, ‘Systematic notes on Asian birds, 38. The McClelland drawings and a reappraisal of the 1835-36 survey of the birds of Assam,’ ‘Zool. Verh. Leiden’, vol. 344, September 2003, pp. 66-106.

---------------------

NHD6

One hundred and eighty-six drawings in pen-and-ink and watercolour depicting 173 birds (110 separate drawings and 63 duplicates) , 12 mammals (9 separate drawings and 3 duplicates) and 1 mollusc from Assam, India. Seven drawings are unfinished. [McClelland had two sets of drawings made: one was presented to the East India Company in 1837 along with the skins and his report; the second set (Archer’s duplicates), which contains some newly made drawings, was presented in 1856. The first set contains Horsfield’s annotations, the second Blyth’s. See Dickinson.]

Bound in a volume measuring 21 by14 inches.

These drawings were made during August and September 1836, while McClelland was on an expedition with Drs. Wallich and Griffith to report on the tea shrub in Assam.

Each picture is inscribed with the Latin and English name of the subject, as well as 'Assam Collection, 1836'. Sometimes the date on which the drawing was made is given. The receiving date, '1856', and 'McClelland' were added later. In 1846 the drawings appear to have been submitted by McClelland to Edward Blyth who added notes and the initials 'E.B.' to some of the drawings of birds, e.g. No.939.

The Collection was presented to the Library in August 1856. The specimens, from which the drawings had been made, and which had been presented to the Company in December 1841 and October 1843, are now at the NHM outstation at Tring, Hertfordshire. The drawings are of importance for they include at least one type drawing, No.871, inscribed '‘Parus Griffithi’', the grey tit found by Dr. Griffith during the expedition. See note by E. Blyth ‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal’, January-June 1847, XVI, I, 445: 'This species is founded on a drawing of a bird obtained by the late Dr. Griffith, between Assam and Ava'.