Sea saw dust
Date
1856
Creator
John Denis Macdonald (1826 - 1908) , Naval medical officer
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (painting): 203mm
width (painting): 162mm
width (painting): 162mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Filaments of ‘sea sawdust’, the cyanobacteria Trichodesmium collected in the Pacific Ocean. Figure a shown at natural size and figures b-c at different magnifications.
These specimens were described by the author aboard HMS Herald in May 1856 as the vessel was engaged in survey work. The author, John Denis Macdonald was assistant surgeon on the ship and stated that: “We have found this species off the coast of Australia & in Moreton Bay, amongst the Polynesian Islands and in two separate occasions off the Loyalty Group in nearly the same geographical position.” Macdonald notes in his accompanying paper that these filaments were first observed in the Pacific by Captain James Cook.
Illustration from the manuscript version of the paper “The sea saw-dust of the Pacific’ by John Denis Macdonald, in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, vol.8 (1856-1857), pp.393-394.
Headed ‘The “Sea saw dust” of the South Pacific’ and monogrammed signed lower left: ‘J.D.M.’ With a key to the figures below the main image.
Sir John Denis Macdonald was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1859.
These specimens were described by the author aboard HMS Herald in May 1856 as the vessel was engaged in survey work. The author, John Denis Macdonald was assistant surgeon on the ship and stated that: “We have found this species off the coast of Australia & in Moreton Bay, amongst the Polynesian Islands and in two separate occasions off the Loyalty Group in nearly the same geographical position.” Macdonald notes in his accompanying paper that these filaments were first observed in the Pacific by Captain James Cook.
Illustration from the manuscript version of the paper “The sea saw-dust of the Pacific’ by John Denis Macdonald, in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, vol.8 (1856-1857), pp.393-394.
Headed ‘The “Sea saw dust” of the South Pacific’ and monogrammed signed lower left: ‘J.D.M.’ With a key to the figures below the main image.
Sir John Denis Macdonald was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1859.
Associated place