McGill Library
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Avocet
Pied Avocet
Recurvirostra avosetta
Charl. Collins Fect 1738;
Item
1 watercolour painting ; 56 x 39 cm + 1 leaf
Charles Collins was an Irish painter, known for his portraits of animals and still-lifes. He achieved success in England painting exotic birds, game, dogs and dead game still-lifes. He was the painter for Robert Furber’s ‘Twelve Months of Fruit’ (1732). In 1736 he published in collaboration with John Lee a set of 12 large engravings, coloured by hand, of British birds in landscape and garden settings, entitled Icones avium cum nominibus anglicis. He then came to the attention of Taylor White, who engaged him to paint birds from his and others’ collections until 1743. Collins died in 1744, when he was described as ‘Bird Painter to the Royal Society.’
Drawing of a Pied Avocet from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: Europe, Africa, and Asia].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) Charl. Collins Fect 1738;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: The Avosetta of the Italians Recurvirostra W. 321. We shot these birds at Lynn in Norfolk where they were called Shoing Horns and John Barkers
Scientific name: Recurvirostra avosetta
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Avosetta
R. albo nigroque varia. L.NS. [sic] p. 151
Habitat in Europa
No. 21
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Avosetta
R. variegated with white and black. L.NS. [sic] p. 151
It lives in Europe.
No. 21.