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Common Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
Cha. 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 pair of Great Cormorants from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the East coast of North America].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Common Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) Cha. Collins Fect. 1739;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: [Sketch of specimen] The Shagg Corvus aquatics Minor sive Graculus Palmipedes W. 330
Scientific name: Phalacrocorax carbo
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Anseres Pelicanus
Carbo
3 Pelecanus cauda aequali, corpore
nigro, rostro edentulo. Pelecanus
corpore atro, subtus albicante, rectricibus
quatuordecim. L.S.N. p 139
Habitat in Europa
The Cormorant
No. 24.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Anseres Pelicanus
Carbo
3 Pelecanus with an even tail, black body,
and toothless beak. Pelecanus
with a black body, white underparts,
and fourteen flight feathers on the tail. L.S.N. p. 139.
It lives in Europe.
The Cormorant
No. 24.