John Fleming (1747-1829) was a surgeon who served in the Indian Medical Service in Bengal from 1768 to 1813. As with many physicians of the period he was very interested in botany. Fleming's particular interest was in plants of medical or economic use. This interest encouraged him to collect plants from many parts of India.

For a period he was appointed Superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Garden while William Roxburgh was on leave of absence. Fleming returned to England in 1813 and died in London in 1829.

The stuffed animal from which the drawing was taken was given me by Mr.I.Washington Price,Surgeon of the Minerva ship that carried the French convicts to N.S.Wals. The drawing which is as the natural size,was made by Mr.Home.The animal is a native of N.S. Wales where it is called the watermole. It seems to constitute a new genus between the Myrmecophagus and the Manis.

Drawing from a folio containing a collection of original watercolour drawings of the mammals, birds and reptiles of India chiefly of Bengal painted by Court painter of the King of Oudh under supervision of Robert Home, John Fleming(naturalist).