2026/01/01 by Paul Manning, G. Christopher Cutler, Robert L. France · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Animal and Plant Science Education #Geographies of human-animal interactions #Landscape and Cultural Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.4039/tce.2026.10059
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/07/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Abstract Critical examination of artistic embellishment on maps is useful for understanding values, fears, and political leanings of the past. The 1750 “Porcupine Map” by Moses Harris, published in The Gentleman’s Magazine (London, United Kingdom), depicted Halifax Harbour to encourage British emigration to Nova Scotia. Compared to earlier regional maps, changes reflected in the Porcupine Map, such as removing depictions of Indigenous Mi’kmaq, suggest efforts to make the colony feel more familiar to British readers of the time. Although the titular porcupine illustration has received significant interest, the map also features three prominent insects labelled as “The White Admirable,” “The Orange Underwing Tyger,” and “The Musk Beetle.” These common names refer to species occurring in Britain but not in Nova Scotia. We posit that “The White Admirable” depicts the American white admiral, Limenitis arthemis Drury (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), and “The Orange Underwing Tyger” represents the St. Lawrence tiger moth, Arctia parthenos Harris (Lepidoptera: Erebidae). Although less detailed, “The Musk Beetle” illustration resembles the brown prionid, Orthosoma brunneum Forster (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a conspicuous long-horned beetle native to North America. Including these detailed depictions of insects but mislabelling them as European species may be due to human error, artistic licence, or an overlooked expression of imperialistic propaganda.