Siberian crane
The most significant paintings, in terms of zoology, are those of the Siberian crane and the dodo. The Siberian crane painting was made well before it was formally described and given a binomial name by Peter Simon Pallas in 1773. The painting of the dodo is among the rare few that were depicted in colour and is a very important source for zoologists. It is thought that the dodo was brought through Surat to Jehangir's court via Portuguese-controlled Goa and the painting of it was discovered in the Hermitage at St. Petersburg and although unsigned has been thought to be the work of Mansur or a close contemporary. Two dodos were described by the English traveller Peter Mundy at Surat and it is thought that the painting is based on one of them. Mundy was in the region between 1628 and 1633. The Siberian crane painted on paper is extremely detailed showing the wrinkles on the bare skin, the legs and a small feather stuck to the claw. Abanindranath Tagore was taken by E. B. Havell, principal of the art school at Calcutta and shown this painting. On examining the detail through a lens, he was inspired to move away from oil on canvas to gouache on paper.