A watercolour of an eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus (Linnaeus)) on a branch of sassafras (Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees). The drawing shows a bird perched on a branch of sassafras (also shown in RCIN 925889), profile left. The bird's sharp, pointed beak and red cheek echo the direction and colour of the Sassafras fruit. There is also a delicate sprig of pale flowers.

Mark Catesby was born in Suffolk and was interested in natural history from an early age. In 1712, he travelled to the east coast of America with his sister Elizabeth, who had married a doctor who practised in Williamsburg, Virginia. Catesby spent seven years in Virginia collecting specimens and seeds for London buyers before returning to Britain. In London his drawings of birds and plants met with praise and a group of benefactors paid for his travel to Carolina in 1722. There, he made numerous drawings of the flora and fauna, working hard to ensure that his depictions were as helpful for an understanding of their subjects as possible. On his return to Britain, his drawings were reproduced in The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, which appeared in a series of volumes between 1729 and 1747. The first volume was dedicated to Queen Caroline, the second to Augusta, Princess of Wales. The original drawings from the volumes, which had been in the possession of Catesby’s widow until her death, were purchased by George III from the London bookseller Thomas Cadell in 1768.

The watercolour was used as the basis for plate 54 in the first volume of the Natural History. In the accompanying text, Catesby notes of the bird (which he calls 'The Tyrant') that 'The courage of this little Bird is singular. He pursues and puts to flight all kinds of Birds that come near his station, from the smallest to the largest, none escaping his fury; nor did I ever see any that dar'd to oppose him while flying; for he does not offer to attack them when sitting. I have seen one of them fix on the back of an Eagle, and persecute him so, that he has turned on his back into various postures in the air, in order to get rid of him, and at last was forced to alight on the top fo the next tree, from whence he dared not move, till the little Tyrant was tired, or thought fit to leave him.'

For identification of the species depicted see James L. Reveal, 'Identification of the plants and animals illustrated by Mark Catesby for his Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands' in Phytoneuron 2013 and revised online version.