A watercolour of a smooth-billed ani (Crotophaga ani Linnaeus), perched on a branch in a landscape. On the verso are sketches relating to this study. The verso is inscribed in ink in the artist's hand: 'these Sketches of heads are from an Other bird which I suppose was Older the bill being a little hooked and Sumthing biger April 1744' and 'This bird was procur'd by T. White Esq from Jamaico[.] Sr Hans Sloane has described it by the name of the Greater black bird in his Natral hist: of Jamaico. it is also discribed in Willughby Pa 120 5[?] by the name of the Brasillian Ani of Kin to the parrots[.] it is drawn from nature of the bignes of life Geo Edwards Decemr 1743[.] it hath 2 toes forward and 2 backward'

This drawing was acquired by George III with the collection of natural history drawings by Mark Catesby. Edwards's drawing of the ani was taken from a specimen supplied to him, or to Sir Hans Sloane (for whom he worked) by a Mr T. White. The drawing was used by Catesby as the basis for the illustration of this bird (called the 'Razor-billed Black-bird) in plate 3 of the appendix of his Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands.