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Early European expeditions to New Zealand and Australia brought naturalists who collected specimens for museum and private collections. The specimens were then drawn (without seeing the live bird) and scientifically described by ornithologists back in Europe such as John Latham. He made this engraving of a purple water hen (purple gallinule), better known in New Zealand as pūkeko.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Reference: A-191-006
by John Latham
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.