R fails to build with fatal error: 'cairo-xlib.h' file not found

[idontgetoutmuch]

Describe the bug
nix-shell -I nixpkgs=https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/archive/nixpkgs-unstable.tar.gz -p R
gives
fatal error: 'cairo-xlib.h' file not found

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. See above

Expected behavior
I'd expect to get a shell in which I could run R

Additional context
#105310

Notify maintainers

@peti

Metadata
Please run nix-shell -p nix-info --run "nix-info -m" and paste the result.

error: file 'nixpkgs' was not found in the Nix search path (add it using $NIX_PATH or -I), at (string):1:9

• system: 0
• host os: Darwin 20.1.0, macOS 10.16
• multi-user?: no
• sandbox: yes
• version: nix-env (Nix) 2.3.10
• channels(dom): "nixpkgs-21.05pre278688.c0e88185200"
  error: file 'nixpkgs' was not found in the Nix search path (add it using $NIX_PATH or -I), at (string):1:1
• nixpkgs: 0

Maintainer information:

# a list of nixpkgs attributes affected by the problem
attribute:
# a list of nixos modules affected by the problem
module: