John Gould mutton-birds. Australian Short-tailed Petrels, Puffinus brevicaudatus, c1848

by Gould, John

Short-tailed Shearwaters, now Ardenna tenuirostris, Mutton Birds (to early settlers on Norfolk Island) were harvested by aborigines for centuries. The Mutton Bird is a good swimmer with webbed feet, and its metre wide wingspan and narrow wings assist in high speed flying and lengthy ocean flights. The tube-like nostrils along the upper side of its beak suggest it also has a sense of smell, and they mostly breed in burrows close to the coast.  

Original hand-coloured lithograph by John Gould and Henry Constantine Richter for Gould's The Birds of Australia published in London between 1840 and 1848, with some of the finest illustrations ever done of Australian Birds. John Gould (1804-1881) devoted his life to the study of birds and became known as 'the bird man'. Financially astute, Gould obtained subscribers before commencing each of his grand enterprises, illustrating the birds of the world with fine, large hand-coloured lithographs. Gould had a fine eye for detail but knew his limitations as an artist, so employed capable lithographers and closely monitored their work.

This lithograph is too large for our scanner. Please email us if you would like further pics. This antique print is in fine condition, and the size of the page is as issued, 535 mm x 370 mm (21 inches x 14.5 inches).