McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Barred Ground-Dove
Zebra Dove
Streptopelia roseogrisea
Item
1 watercolour painting ; 56 x 39 cm + 1 leaf
Peter Paillou was born in London into a Huguenot family and was recognised in his own time as an eminent ‘bird painter’. In 1744 he began to paint for Taylor White and worked for him for almost thirty years, painting chiefly birds and mammals. He painted as well for Robert More, Joseph Banks, and for the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant. Many of his paintings of birds were used as the basis for book illustrations, often engraved by his colleague and fellow Huguenot, Peter Mazell. Paillou was elected to the Society of Artists and in 1763 he exhibited ‘A Piece of Birds, in Watercolours; the Hen of the Wood and Cock of the Red Game’. In 1778, to considerable approval, he also showed a picture of ‘A Horned Owl from Peru’, completely made from feathers.
Drawing of a pair of Zebra Doves from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Southeast Asia, Australia, Oceania, and Hawaii.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Barred Ground-Dove (Geopelia striata)
Scientific name: Streptopelia roseogrisea
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Bengalensis
Columba palpebris caeruleis remigibus
nigris rectricibus fuscis dorso et alis
fuscis nigro tran[s]versale striatis
habitat in Benghala
The
Transverse Striped
or
Bared Dove
Edw. p. 16
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Bengalensis
Columba with blue eyes, black flight feathers on the wings,
tawny flight feathers on the tail, a tawny back and wings
with black transverse stripes.
It lives in Bengal.
The
Transverse Striped
or
Bared Dove
Edw. p. 16