Summary

Watercolour and pencil illustration (D115a) of a Spotted Grass Frog, Limnodynastes tasmaniensis, by Arthur Bartholomew. This work was commissioned by Frederick McCoy, the first Director of The National Museum of Victoria, for Plate 42 in The Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria; Figures and descriptions of the living species of all classes of the Victoria indigenous animals. McCoy originally referred to this species as Lymnodynasters tasmaniensis, The Spotted Marsh-frog.

Bartholomew's illustration forms part of the much larger Prodromus Collection. Many of the original illustrations and prints in the collection informed the production of The Prodromus, the first major publication of the National Museum of Victoria. Between 1878 and 1890, McCoy published his zoology 'Prodromus' as 20 parts in two volumes, with each part comprising 20 plates. Unfortunately, almost 90 plates in the collection remain unpublished, and hundreds of illustrations were either not completed or not printed.

Description of Content

Spotted Marsh Frog, Limnodynastes tasmaniensis, by Arthur Bartholomew. Illustration, pencil, watercolour and ink on paper, 11cm x 17cm, for Plate 42 in The Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria by Frederick McCoy.

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria

  • Collecting Areas

    Scientific Art & Observation

  • Artist

    Arthur Bartholomew

  • Medium

    Watercolour, pencil and ink

  • Technique

    Scientific illustration

  • Support

    Paper

  • Plate Number

    42

  • Drawing Number

    D115a

  • State

    Illustration

  • Primary Inscriptions

    Nov. 24th

  • Secondary Inscriptions

    [No's for figures]

  • Classification

    Scientific artwork, Watercolour, Paper

  • Taxon Name

    Limnodynastes tasmaniensis

  • Author and date of publication

    Günther, 1858

  • Preferred Common name

    Spotted Grass Frog

  • Other Common Names

    Spotted Marsh Frog

  • Kingdom

    Animalia

  • Phylum

    Chordata

  • Subphylum

    Vertebrata

  • Class

    Amphibia

  • Subclass

    Lissamphibia

  • Order

    Anura

  • Family

    Myobatrachidae

  • Genus

    Limnodynastes

  • Species Name

    tasmaniensis

  • Category

    Natural Sciences

  • Discipline

    Scientific Artwork

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Framed

    848 mm (Width), 648 mm (Height)
    Art of Science, 6 items in single frame: PZ 42.1; PZ 42.4; PZ 53.4; PZD 113; PZD 114 & PZD 116.2

  • Overall Dimensions

    17 cm (Width), 11.5 cm (Height)

  • Exhibition Collection Management

    172 mm (Width), 115 mm (Height)

  • Primary support

    173 mm (Width), 115 mm (Height)
    Measurement From Conservation. irregular size

  • Maximum dimensions

    172 mm (Width), 116 mm (Height)
    Measurement From Conservation. left and right edges not even

  • References

    [Book Series] McCoy, Frederick. 1878-1890. Natural History of Victoria: Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria or Figures and Descriptions of the Living Species of All Classes of the Victorian Indigenous Animals. 1-2.
    [Article] Yen, Alan L., et al. 2001. McCoy's Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria: an unfinished task. Vic. Nat. 118 (6): 242-255.