Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

New South Wales drawings (‘The Lambert Drawings’)

Dear Sir
I hope you will receive back safe your valuable Books of Drawings, which I mean to forward by to Morrow´s Coach, which inns at the Bell Savage Ludgate Hill, I have according to my Promise given a Name to each Bird, altho´ I have been at much loss in respect to the Genus of many of them - indeed, even if Sizes in some Cases have not been noticed anymore than the Manners, independent of many Circumstances not possible to be ascertained by delineations, unless aided by accurate descriptions, & which, had the Painter been at all versed in ornithology, he could not have failed to have remarked in writing I should therefore think it not unlikely, but in case the Specimens themselves should hereafter come before you or me, we might alter our present opinion.
I do not Suppose that any other notes in writing can be got at besides those already in yr Possession but if so, I should advise you to take the advantage of it. New subjects will no doubt from Time to Time arrive from New Holland and in such Cases You will do well to take the advantage of procurring Drawings at least of them, & you cannot do Me a greater favour than in granting me a View of them. - If it were possible to trace the circumvolutions of the trachea in the anas semipalmata [see Volume 01: Pl.74. Semi-palmated Duck] I shd be greatly pleased & this might be obtained either by bringing a specimen over whole in Spirits, or by making accurate Drawings of the Parts on the Spot. I must observe to You, that several of the drawings appear to me to have been taken from one and the same Species, & which you will find me to have noticed in more places than one. The names that I have given are such as struck me to be best adapted, but I am not sollicitous (sic) to impose them on the World, especially as some Persons seem to take Pleasure in altering the Names of preceding Describers, & may do the same by me; to which, as heretofore, I most readily submit. I have only now to add my real Thanks for your great kindness, and remain
Dear Sir

Most sincerely yours

John Latham
26 Jan 1800

I think you must receive your Parcel to Morrow Evening, or on some part of Tuesday if not, be so good to enquire for it at the Inn. - & in all events make me easy by a Line to say it arrives Safe, as its contents are too valuable to be lost

[Transcription from New South Wales drawings : the property of the Earl of Derby : important early Australian watercolours from the library of the 13th Earl of Derby at Knowsley [catalogue] / Christie's. [London] : Christie's, 2011]