NO. 58. — 1907.] JOAN GIDEON LOTEN, F.R.S. 



253 



On p. 42 Brown speaks of " my worthy Patron John Gideon 

 Loten, Esq.; " and from his statements throughout the work 

 we find that in all 20 plates * are copies made from Loten's 

 (de Bevere's) drawings, the majority being representations of 

 Ceylon birds. f 



Seven years after the appearance of Brown's book there was 

 published, in 1781, at Halle in Germany, a folio volume by the 

 eminent naturalist and traveller, Johann Reinhold Forster, 

 bearing the title Indische Zoologie, and containing fifteen 

 coloured plates, with detailed descriptions in German and 

 Latin, of birds, &c.{ From the preface I translate the follow- 

 ing passages : — 



Mr. Gideon Loten, who loved to investigate nature, occupied 

 himself much therein, and with much assiduity also learnt the art 

 of depicting objects of nature ; when he was appointed by the 

 Dutch East India Company Governor of the island of Ceylon he 

 found in this island a large field for investigating the secrets of 

 nature, and he applied himself thereto with great zeal and extra- 

 ordinary diligence, as often as his incumbent public duties 

 permitted him. He instructed several slaves§ himself in the art of 

 drawing ; and caused to be painted by them various new and to 

 naturalists unknown Ceylon animals. After a laudably conducted 

 administration he returned to Europe, and brought with him also 

 all the beautiful pictures of animals. He afterwards married a 



* Some of these are dated 1774 and 1775. 



f The birds copied from Loten's drawings are as follows (all being 

 Ceylon unless otherwise stated) : — Brown Hawk, Spotted Curucui, Red- 

 crowned Barbet, Olive-coloured Warbler, Yellow-cheeked Barbet, 

 Ceylon Black-cap, Javan Partridge, Purple Pigeon (Java), Pompadore 

 Pigeon, Yellow-faced Pigeon, Yellow-crowned Thrush (Ceylon and Java), 

 Yellow-vented Fly-catcher (Java), Red-vented Warbler, Yellow- 

 breasted Fly-catcher, Green Warbler, Pink-coloured Warbler, Green 

 Wagtail, Rail (two plates). One Ceylon bird, the Great Ceylonese 

 Eared Owl, is not said to be copied from a plate of Loten's ; but, as the 

 latter's name is mentioned in connection with it, we may infer that it 

 also is taken from a painting in Loten's collection. 



J A second edition was issued in 1795, containing some additional 

 matter, but the plates and descriptions being identical. 



§ This is probably a misapprehension. As far as we know, de 

 Bevere was the only person employed by Loten in the execution of his 

 paintings, and he was certainly not a "slave." (Compare, however. 

 Pennant's statement quoted in the footnote below.) 



