McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
British Goldfinch
European Goldfinch, male
Carduelis carduelis
Char. Collins Fect. 1739
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 male European Goldfinch from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: British Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis britannica) Char. Collins Fect. 1739 The Gold Finch or Thistle Finch Carduelis W. p. 256
Scientific name: Carduelis carduelis
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves
Passeres Fringilla
Carduelis
7 Fringula remigibus antrorsum luteis
extima immaculata, rectricibus duabus
extimis medio religisq[ue] [reliquisque] apice albis.
L.N.S. [sic] p. 180
Habitat in Europa
The
Gold-finch
No. 3.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves
Passeres Fringula
Carduelis
7 Fringula with yellow innermost flight feathers on the wings
and unmarked outermost feathers, two outermost flight feathers on the tail that are white in the middle, and white tips on the rest.
L.N.S. [sic] p. 180
It lives in Europe.
The
Gold-finch
No. 3.