For another example of Eyre's initials see "Sydney Cove" ca. 1806 DG ref. ZDG V1/75
This drawing is close to John Lewin's etching of the same bird, "Blue face honey-sucker", which was first published in 1808 in Lewin's "Birds of New Holland". For an example of this etching see plate 4 in a later edition, "A natural history of the birds of New South Wales", 1822, ML ref. F598.2/L
According to vendor, this drawing was removed from a copy of John Lewin's "A Natural history of the birds of New South Wales" (1822), where it was bound next to his plate "Blue face honey-sucker." The book was offered for sale in Christie's Rare Books & Manuscripts, 28 November 1996, Melbourne, lot 669 (the watercolour is illustrated in the catalogue).
Colour transparency digitised 1999