McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Common Iora
Aegithina tiphia
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 Common Loras from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: India, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Small tear on left edge.
Manuscript note on back of drawing: a fly catch her from Bengal
Scientific name: Aegithina tiphia
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Citrina
Certhia supra viridis subtus flava,
alis nigricantibus fasciis duabus albis,
cauda viridi.
Rostrum nigricans. Tota subtus lute
saturate flava, supra viridis. Alae
nigricantes fasciis duabus albis. Rachides
remigum flavicantibus. Pedes ple
nigricantes.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Citrina
Certhia It is green on top and golden-yellow underneath,
with black wings with two white bands,
and a green tail.
The beak is black. The whole underside [of the body]
is a deep golden-yellow, the top is green. The wings
are black with two white bands. The shafts
of the flight feathers on the wings are golden-yellow. The feet
are black.