Add MS 5265

Drawings of birds, primarily from North and Central America and Europe. All drawings are executed on paper or parchment and pasted on the folios of the album. Some have an additional drawing or inscription on the verso. Most drawings are inscribed in pencil and ink by different hands with the name of the bird in English and / or Latin.

A cross-reference to printed publications relevant to the drawings is inscribed on several drawings. Most frequent are abbreviated references to Francis Willughby's Ornithology (London, 1676), John Ray's Synopsis Methodica Avium & Piscium (London, 1713) and George Edwards's A Natural History of Birds (London, 1743-51).

The majority of drawings are watercolours by English naturalist George Edwards (1694-1773), several of which are signed by him, inscribed with a brief description in English and a date ranging between 1733 and 1740. The other drawings in the manuscript are by the hand of different draughtsmen and include:

33. Drawing of a bird inscribed 'Johannes Amman fecit 1733'.

34, 96, 105, 155. Watercolours of birds signed 'P. W. fe[cit]', the monogram of Dutch still life painter Pieter Withoos.

67. Watercolour of a noddy seen near the islands of Martinique and Dominique inscribed in English and dated 30 June 1674.

71-72. Watercolours of two sea fowls, inscribed with the date July 1674 and a brief description of the bird in English.

81-82. Watercolours of a crane from the Cape of Good Hope, inscribed with a handwritten reference to James Petiver's Gazophylacii Naturae & Artis (London, 1702-11).

84. A hand-coloured etching of an Indian crane, bearing the title 'the greater Indian Crane' in the lower right corner and the signature 'Edwards 1739' in the lower left corner. A closely related etching with the signature and title in different positions on the plate features in George Edwards' Natural History of Birds (London, 1743).

89. Ink and grey wash drawing of a crane by Everard Kickius, signed 'E. K. fecit' in the lower right corner.

90. Drawing signed 'HBol'.

95. Drawing signed 'P.H fe[cit]', likely the monogram of Dutch artist Pieter Holsteyn I or II.

118. Pencil and watercolour sketch of a dead bird, inscribed by Thomas Browne in the lower right corner 'Avosetta nostras recurvirostra'.

119. Watercolour sketch of the head of the same bird as item 118, on parchment, with an inscription by Thomas Browne in the upper right margin 'Avosetta nostras'.

120. Watercolour of four birds from Madras, with inscriptions in Latin providing cross-references to John Ray's Synopsis Methodica Avium & Piscium (London, 1713).

125. Watercolour of a bird signed by Mark Catesby.

130. The item has been removed and is now stored separately as Add MS 5265/130.

135. Watercolour of a bird signed 'H.B.' (Likely the monogram of Dutch artists Herman or Anton Henstenburg).

136. Cut out of a bird's feet, inscribed on the verso by Thomas Browne.