Entry on the Hyacinthine Macaw on Pages 57-60 of the Museum Leverianum, a work containing select specimens from the museum of the late Sir Ashton Lever written by George Shaw and published in 1792-6 followed by the entry in Shaw's General Zoology(Vol. VIII, P.393) published in 1800-12
George Shaw lived from 1751 to 1813. He was very highly regarded during his life time and was Assistant Keeper to the natural history section of the British Museum
from 1791 to 1807, when he became Keeper,a position he held until his death six years later. His main works were the Museum Leverianum , the Zoology of New Holland (today Australia) published in 1794, the General Zoology published between 1800-1812 and the Naturalists' Miscellany published
1789 to 1813.
The entry in Museum Leverianum, which is accompanied by an interesting colour
plate, begins with the Latin version of the English text and identifies the macaw as Psittacus augustus. The Latin version is not reproduced given here, but the full original English text is as follows:-
THE HYACINTHINE MACCAW
GENERAL CHARACTER
BILL hooked, upper mandible moveable
NOSTRILS round, placed in the base of the bill
TONGUE fleshy, blunt at the end
LEGS short, toes formed for climbing, viz, two toes
forward, and two behind
SPECIFIC CHARACTER
Long-tailed deep-blue maccaw, with the bill and legs black,
the orbits and base of the lower mandible yellow
Of all the parrot tribe yet known this bird seems to be the largest as well as the most august in its appearance. It is also a new species, and was unknown to naturalists till it was introduced into the Leverian Museum by the late Lord Orford, who purchased it living.
Nothing certain is known with respect to its native country; it may however be strongly presumed that, like the Psittacus Macao, Ararauna, and the other large Maccaws, it may be an inhabitant of South America, and probably of Brazil in particular. Its colour is the richest and deepest mazarine blue, uniformly diffused over the whole bird, except that on the edges of the wings and the forehead is a very slight tendency to a sea-green or blueish-green cast. The under surface of the wings and tail is black. The beak is uncommonly large and strong. It is totally black, the legs and feet are also black and extremely strong. The orbits or bare spaces round the eyes are of a deep yellow, and the base of the lower mandible is surrounded by a bare skin of the same colour.
The general proportions of this magnificent bird are the same as in the two species above mentioned, but its size is still larger. The specimen now described is perhaps the only one known to exist at present in Europe.
In 1812 Shaw finished publishing his General Zoologyand Volume VIII contains the following entry on page 393.
HYACINTHINE MACAW
Psittacus augustus, P cyancus, rostro
pedibusque nigris, orbitis basique
mandibula inferioris luteis
Museum Leverianum No. 2
Deep-blue macaw with the bill and legs black;
the orbits and base of the lower mandible yellow
Hyacinthine maccaw Nat. Misc. Vol.15, pl. 609
Psittacus hyacinthinus P.macrourus violaceo-ceruleus,
capite colloque dilutioribis, orbite gulaque nudis flavis. Lat. ind.orn
Hyacinthine Maccaw Lath. syn
This august species, which is a degree larger than the Blue and Yellow Maccaw, was first described by myself, in the work entitled Museum Leveranium, from a very fine specimen preserved in that celebrated collection. I must therefore repeat my former description. The colour of this bird is the richest and deepest mazarine blue, uniformly diffused over the whole plumage; except that on the edges of the wings and the forehead is a very slight tendency to a sea-green or blueish-green cast; the under surface of the wings and tail is black: the beak is most uncommonly large and strong, and considerably exceeds that of the Macao or Ararauna; it is totally black, the legs and feet are also black and extremely strong. The orbits or bare spaces round the eyes are of a deep yellow, and the base of the lower mandible is surrounded by a bare skin of the same colour: the general proportions of this magnificent bird are the same as in the two species above-mentioned. Nothing certain is known relative to its native country, but it may be presumed that, like the rest of the large Maccaws, it is an inhabitant of South America.
It may be added, that the specimen in the Leverian Museum was probably the first of its kind brought into Europe, and before its introduction into the Leverian Museum, had been in the possession of the then Lord Orford, with whom it lived a considerable time. I have been informed that a second specimen was some time afterwards brought to Lisbon, and was presented to the Queen of Portugal. It is therefore probable that the bird is of Brazilian origin. It is remarkable that it differs from the rest of the Maccaws in having the cheeks covered with feathers.
.
(Website editor: it is evident that Shaw's description is based on personal observation, whereas Latham appears to have his information second-hand. Both Shaw and Latham have illustrations of the Hyacinthine Macaw in their respective works and that in Shaw's Museum Leverianum is far superior to that in Volume II of Latham's collection of water colours (Plate 99)
Andere historische Dokumente
