This specimen is a Grey Currawong. There are six subspecies of Grey Currawongs and they can sometimes interbreed with other species of Currawong leading to a divergent series of appearances amongst the species. The species can be found in the south western to south eastern parts of Australia, including in Tasmania. It is an endangered species in the Northern Territory although the reasons why are not yet known. They prefer a wide range of habitats including coastal to arid and can also be occasionally found in suburban areas. This specimen was misidentified as a Grey Crow in original catalogue records and is part of a collection of almost 200 animal specimens that were originally acquired as skins from various institutions across Australia, including the Australian Museum in Sydney and the National Museum of Victoria (known as Museums Victoria since 1983), as well as individuals such as amateur anthropologist Reynell Eveleigh Johns between 1860-1880. These skins were then mounted by members of the Burke Museum Committee and put-on display in the formal space of the Museum’s original exhibition hall where they continue to be on display. This display of taxidermy mounts initially served to instruct visitors to the Burke Museum of the natural world around them, today it serves as an insight into the collecting habits of the 19th century.This specimen is part of a significant and rare taxidermy mount collection in the Burke Museum. This collection is scientifically and culturally important for reminding us of how science continues to shape our understanding of the modern world. They demonstrate a capacity to hold evidence of how Australia’s fauna history existed in the past and are potentially important for future environmental research. This collection continues to be on display in the Museum and has become a key part to interpreting the collecting habits of the 19th century.This Grey Currawong has mainly grey plumage with a white tail tip and darker undercarriage. It has yellow irises, made of glass, and brown claws. The bill is dark in colour. This specimen has been placed upon a wooden mount in a downwards facing position. It has a paper tag attached to its right leg.16a / Grey Cro [torn] / See Cat / [torn] /axidermy mount, taxidermy, animalia, burke museum, beechworth, australian museum, skin, reynell eveleigh johns, bird, grey crow, grey currawong, currawong

The museum register is somewhat ambiguous but it is recorded - along with about 12 others - that this specimen was transferred from the 'Nat. Sc. Dept' in September 1899. The specimen also apparently has something to do with Frederick McCoy; his name is entered as the party that identified the skeleton. It seems certain that these were a batch (accession numbers MUZD1113-1126) of specimens given to the university teaching museum during the move of the state museum from the university campus to its subsequent site on Russell St. Examination of the Currawong skeleton (and some of the others in this batch) revels that the specimen has been remounted at some point. The other items in this batch are, like this specimen, predominantly mounted articulated vertebrate skeletons: [Specimens are listed with accession number and name as written in the original register] MUZD1113 - 'Lepus timidus' (Mountain hare), mounted skeleton; currently on display in the Tiegs Zoology Museum MUZD1114 - 'Emydura' (Short-necked Turtle), mounted skeleton; currently on display in the Tiegs Zoology Museum MUZD1115 - 'Astur novaehollandiae' (Obsolete binomial name for Accipiter novaehollandiae - Grey Goshawk); mounted skeleton, currently in storage, disassembled, in the Tiegs Zoology Museum. MUZD1116 - 'Grey crow-shrike ♂' (Grey Currawong), mounted skeleton; currently on display in the Tiegs Zoology Museum MUZD1117 - 'Herpestes, India' (Mongoose sp.), mounted skeleton; currently on display in the Tiegs Zoology Museum MUZD1118 - 'Macropus giganteus (aged[?]), Goulburn River' (Eastern Grey Kangaroo), ♀ skull; whereabouts unknown MUZD1119 - 'Macropus giganteus, ?' (Eastern Grey Kangaroo), skull; whereabouts unknown MUZD1120 - 'Raia ? lemprieri' (Obsolete binomial name for Dentiraja lemprieri -Thornback Skate), stuffed; whereabouts unknown MUZD1121 - 'Cyprinus carpio' (Common carp), skeleton - roughly prepared; whereabouts unknown MUZD1122 - 'Ovis' (Domestic sheep probably Jacob Sheep, '4 horned breed'), skull; whereabouts unknown MUZD1123 - 'Cervus canadensis (Wapiti)', skull and lower jaw - no horns; currently on display in the Tiegs Zoology Museum MUZD1124 - 'Antelope', no further information; whereabouts unknown MUZD1125 - 'Encope emarginata' (Echinoderm), currently on display in the Tiegs Zoology Museum MUZD1126 - 'Heterocentrotus trigonarius' (Pencil urchin), currently on display in the Tiegs Zoology Museum (accession number is not written on wooden base, but on the inside of the specimen.)Mounted skeleton of Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor). Skeleton is mounted on a black wooden stand with a round base.Accession number '2259' is written in ink on the sternum. Wooden mount has black label with white text on the base reading 'GREY CROW SHRIKE/ STREPERA VERSICOLOR'. animal, vertebrate, bird, skeleton, frederick mccoy, national museum of victoria, passeriformes, artamidae