Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.14933

    Head of a bird from the Canaries

    Date
    25 April 1692
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    LBC
    Manuscript page number
    vol12 p330
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 308mm
    width (page): 178mm
    Subject
    Biology
       > Zoology
          > Ornithology
    Content object
    nature
       > animal
          > bird
    nature
       > animal
    Description
    Two small ink drawings in the text indicating the shape of the head of a bird found in the Canary Islands, called 'Bovitas'. From a copy of a letter dated 25 April 1692 at Grand Canary, from on board the ship Modena, by George Handisyde, surgeon in the Royal Navy, to Hans Sloane.

    This is copied from LBO/12/289.
    Transcription
    Here I did see also a very pretty bird which the Natives call Bovitas (its Feathures [sic] of a light brown colour the wing Tail and plume of the Feathers) on the head being curiously streated with black; its about the bigness of a Starling, the Bill is Straight, black about 2 1/2 inch long; the feathers on its head when not Displayed stand thus - {IMAGE} and seem as that it were but one feather but when displayed Stand thus - {IMAGE*} hollow where you see the *. I will do the best to procure some of them for you and my good friend Mr. Charleton &c.
    Transcribed by the Making Visible project
    Related fellows
    Hans Sloane (1660 - 1753, Irish) , Physician
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > Spain
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