Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 32. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 32nd Lecture (ca. 1799): "No. 1423. This Gross Beak has given me a considerable deal of trouble to find out its species, and I cannot assimilate it to any I have meet with in several authors. It was brought to me dead, and supposed to be a native here. If it is so, I have not seen any other of them. I am rather inclined to think it had escaped from some cage. The bill proves to belong to Loxia, a Gross Beak. It is cinerious on the top of the head, a light line over each Eye; the back striped; the middle of the feathers dark brown edged with sallow; wings & tail the same; the breast and under parts a sallow white; bill red. I do not name it, with the hopes that I may in some future time find out whether it is a native of our country or not." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
Notes:
This unidentified bird is tentatively placed in Cardinalidae in this inventory, pending more information.
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Unidentified "Gross Beak"
Current Scientific Name
Cardinalidae | Unidentified
