Zoological paintings from Cook's voyages by William Ellis.


Zoological specimens were collected and painted on all three of Cook's voyages. William Wade Ellis painted them on the third voyage. The following is a list of his paintings from an unpublished collection of watercolour sketches of Mammals, Birds and Fish by him.

The Natural History Museum's Picture Library has reproduced images of all the plates. Links have been made to (so far) some of those images (to be completed).

Ff. 1 Bat - to be identified.
Ff. 2 Walrus. (xxxx yyyy). Arctic Ocean.
Ff. 3 Animal.
Ff. 4 Unidentified Bird.
Ff. 5 An animal (a raccoon?).
Ff. 6 An animal (an oxen?).
Ff. 7 Siberian Peregrine Falcon. (Falco perigrinus japonensis). Off Japan. Solander 1.
Ff. 8 American Hawk Owl. (Surnia ulula caparoch). Prince William Sound. Solander 3.
Ff. 9 Polynesian or Striped Starling. (Aplonis tabuensis tabuensis). Tonga. Solander 6.
Ff.10 Shama. (Kittacincla malabarica macroura). Pulo Condore. Solander 7b.
Ff.11 Red-breasted Musk Parrot. (Prosopeia tabuensis tabuensis). Tonga. Solander 8.
Ff.12 Red-fronted Parrakeet or Kakariki. (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae novaezelandiae). New Zealand. Solander 9.
Ff.13 Blue-crowned Lory. (Vini australis). Tonga. Solander 12.
Ff.14 Tahitian Blue Lory. (Vini peruviana). Tahiti. Solander 13.
Ff.15 South Island Kaka. (Nestor meridionalis meridionalis). New Zealand. Solander 11.
Ff.16 Green Rosella. (Platycercus caledonicus). Tasmania. Solander 10.
Ff.17 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo. (Dissemurus paradiseus). Princes Island and Pulo Condore. Solander 17.
Ff.18 Polynesian Triller. (Lalage maculosa tabuensis). Tonga. Solander 9'10.
Ff.19 Red-shafted Flicker. (Colaptes cafer cafer). Nootka Sound. Solander 27.
Ff.20 Alaskan Three-toed Woodpecker. (Picoides tridactylus fasciatus). Norton Sound. Solander 25.
Ff.21 Northern Nuthatch. (Sitta europaea albifrons). Kamchatka. Solander 28.
Ff.22 Latham's Respected Kingfisher. (Halcyon tuta tuta). Tahiti. Solander 30.
Ff.23 Venerated Kingfisher. (Halcyon venerata venerata). Tonga. Solander 31.
Ff.24 Cape Sugar Bird. (Promerops cafer). The Cape. Solander 34.
Ff.25 Tui. (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae novaseelandiae). Queen Charlotte Sound. Solander 41.
Ff.26 O'o. (Moho nobilis). Hawai'i. Solander 40. Extinct.
Ff.27 Mamo. (Drepania pacifica). Hawai'i. Solander 39. Extinct.
Ff.28 Akialoa. (Hemignathus obscurus obscurus). Hawai'i. Solander 38.
Ff.29 I'iwi. (Vestiaria coccinea). Kaua'i. Solander 35.
Ff.30 Apapane. (Himatione sanguinea sanguinea). Hawai'i. Solander 36.
Ff.31 Amakihi. (Loxops virens virens). Hawai'i. Solander 37.
Ff.32 Rufous Humming Bird. (Selasphorus rufus). Nootka Sound. Solander 43.
Ff.33 Long-tailed Duck. (Clangula hyemalis). Kamchatka. Solander 45.
Ff.34 Pacific Harlequin Duck. (Histrionicus histrionicus pacificus). Kamchatka. Solander 46.
Ff.35 Steller's Eider. (Polysticta stelleri). Kamchatka. Solander 48.
Ff.36 Red-breasted Merganser. (Mergus serrator serrator). King William Sound. Solander 50.
Ff.37 Tufted Puffin. (Lunda cirrhata). Bering Sea / Arctic Ocean. Solander 51.
Ff.38 Crested Auklet. (Aethia cristatella). Bird Island (Bering Sea / Arctic Ocean). Solander 52.
Ff.39 Giant Petrel. (Macronectes giganteus). Kerguelen Island. Solander 55.
Ff.40 Short-tailed Shearwater. (Puffinus tenuirostris). Arctic Ocean. Solander 62.
Ff.41 Fulmar. (Fulmaris glacialis rodgersii) . Arctic Ocean. Solander 63 & 64.
Ff.42 Fulmar. (Fulmaris glacialis rodgersii). Arctic Ocean. Solander 63 & 64.
Ff.43 Slender-billed Prion. (Pachyptila belcheri) (whole bird) and Antarctic Prion. (Pachyptila desolata). (head only). Kerguelen Island. Solander 56.
Ff.44 Wandering Albatross. (Diomedea exulans). Tasman Sea. Solander 65.
Ff.45 Rockhopper Penguin. (Eudyptes crestatus filholi) . Kerguelen Island. Solander 71.
Ff.46 King Penguin. (Aptenodytes patagonicus). Kerguelen Island. Solander 70.
Ff.47 Blue-faced Booby. (Sula dactylactra personata). Christmas Island. Solander 66.
Ff.48 Red-tailed Tropic Bird. (Phaeton rubricauda melanorhynchos). Palmerston Atoll. Solander 68.
Ff.49 Pigeon Guillemot. (Cepphus columba columba). Unalaska. Solander 72.
Ff.50 Thick-billed Murre. (Uria lomvia arra). Unalaska. Solander 73.
Ff.51 Pacific Kittiwake. (Rissa tridactyla pollicaris). Kamchatka. Solander 77.
Ff.52 Slaty-backed Gull. (Larus marinus schistisagus). Kamchatka. Solander 79.
Ff.53 Common Noddy. (Procelsterna cerulean). Christmas Island. Solander 84.
Ff.54 Antarctic Tern. (Sterna vittata vittata). Kerguelen Island. Solander 82.
Ff.55 Sooty Tern. (Sterna fuscata). Christmas Island. Solander 81.
Ff.56 White Tern. (Gygis alba candida). Christmas Island. Solander 80.
Ff.57 White-fronted Tern. (Sterna striata). At sea, east of New Zealand. Solander 88.
Ff.58 Reef Heron. (Demigretta sacra sacra). Tonga. Solander 89.
Ff.59 Lesser Sheath-bill. (Chionis minor). Kerguelen Island. Solander 107.
Ff.60 Least Sandpiper. (Erolia minutilla). Nootka Sound. Solander 97.
Ff.61 American Dunlin. (Erolia alpine pacifica). Nootka Sound. Solander 95.
Ff.62 Surf Bird. (Aphriza virgata). (Winter plumage). Nootka Sound. Solander 101. (see also Ff. 66).
Ff.63 Red-necked or Northern Phalerope. (Lobipes lobatus) . Bering Sea / Arctic Ocean. Solander 92.
Ff.64 Christmas Island Sandpiper. (Aechmorhynchus cancellatus) . Christmas Island. Solander 98.
Ff.65 White-winged Sandpiper. (Prosobonia leucoptera). Tahiti / Moorea. Solander 93. Extinct.
Ff.66 Surf Bird. (Aphriza virgata). (Summer plumage). King William Sound. Solander 102. (see also Ff. 62).
Ff.67 Hooded Dotterel. (Charadrius rubricollis). Tasmania. Solander 105.
Ff.68 Pacific Golden Plover. (Pluvialis dominica fulva). Christmas Island. Solander 106.
Ff.69 Hawaiian gallinule. (Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis). Hawai'i. Solander 109.
Ff.70 Sandwich Rail. (Porzana sandwichensis). Hawai'i. Solander 110.
Ff.71 Society Islands Ground Dove. (Gallicolumba erythroptera). Moorea. Solander 117.
Ff.72 Pacific Pigeon. (Ducula pacifica pacifica). Tonga. Solander 116.
Ff.73 South Island Saddleback. (Creadion carunculatus carunculatus). Queen Charlotte Sound. Solander 121.
Ff.74 Varied Thrush (above) & American Robin. (Ixoreus naevius (above) & Turdus migratorius). Nootka Sound. Solander 126 & 127.
Ff.75 Siberian Ruby-throated Robin. Luscinia calliope camtschatkensis). Kamchatka. Solander 123.
Ff.76 Long-billed Warbler. (Conopoderas caffra longirostris). Moorea. Solander 22.
Ff.77 Hawai'i Thrush. (Phaeornis obscura obscura). Hawai'i. Solander 122.
Ff.78 Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike. (Coracina novaehollandiae). Tasmania. Solander 128.
Ff.79 Ou. (Psittirostra psittacea). Hawai'i. Solander 129.
Ff.80 Alaska Longspur. (Calcarius lapponicus alascensis). Unalaska. Solander
Ff.81 Golden-crowned Sparrow. (Zonotrichia atricapilla). Prince William Sound. Solander 133.
Ff.82 Aleutian Savannah Sparrow. (Passerculus sandwichensis sandwichensis) . Prince William Sound & Unalaska. Solander 136.
Ff.83 Japanese Snowfinch. (Leucosticte brunneonucha). Off coast of Japan. Solander 134.
Ff.84 Brambling. (Fringilla montifringilla). Off coast of Japan. Solander 132.
Ff.85 Akepa or Akakane. (Loxops coccinea coccinea). Hawai'i. Solander 139.
Ff.86 Yellow-breasted Tit. (Petroica macrocephala macrocephala). Queen Charlotte Sound. Solander 143.
Ff.87 Elepaio. (Chasiempis sandwichensis sandwichensis). Hawai'i. Solander 142.
Ff.88 Northern Pileolated Warbler. (Wilsonia pusilla pileolata). Bering Sea / Arctic Ocean. Solander 145.
Ff.89 Bluethroat. (Luscinia svecica). Bering Sea / Arctic Ocean. Solander 144.
Ff.90 European Wheatear. (Oenanthe oenanthe). Bering Sea / Arctic Ocean. Solander 146.
Ff.91 Yellow Wagtail. (Motacilla flava). Kamchatka. Solander 147 & 149.
Ff.92 Christmas Island Reed Warbler. (Conopoderas aequinoctialis aequinoctialis). Christmas Island. Solander 153 & 154.
Ff.93 Coal Tit. (Parus ater insularis) (above) and Great Tit. (Parus major minor). Off coast of Japan. Solander 156.
Ff.94 Alaska Chickadee. (Parus cinctus lathami). Norton Sound. Solander 157.
Ff.95 Superb Blue Wren. (Malurus cyaneus cyaneus). Tasmania. Solander 155.
Ff.96 White-rumped Swiftlet. (Collocalia spodiopygia townsendi). Tonga. Solander 159.
Ff.97 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.98 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.99 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.100 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.101 Chaetodon.
Ff.102 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.103 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.104 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.105 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.106 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.107 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.108 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.109 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.110 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.111 Unidentified Fish.
Ff.112 Crab. (Hyas araneus).
Ff.113 Crab. (Ranina ranina).
Ff.114 Crab. (Erimacrus isenbeckii).
Ff.115 Sea life.

Page started 07 July 2004. Last modified 07 July 2004.

Return to Captain Cook Encyclopaedia