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Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Common opossum
General material designation
Parallel title
Virginia Opossum
Other title information
Didelphis virginiana
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Caption title.
- Parallel titles and other title information: Title from Mousley: Didelphys marsupialis var. typica
Level of description
Item
Repository
Reference code
CA RBD MSG BW002-120
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
1 watercolour painting ; 56 x 39 cm + 1 leaf
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
(approximately 1720-approximately 1790)
Biographical history
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.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Drawing of a Virginia Opossum from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: North America.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
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Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Common opossum (Didelphys marsupialis var. typica)
General note
General note
Scientific name: Didelphis virginiana
Accompanying material
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Accompanying material
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Mammalia Ferae Didelphis
Marsupialis
Didelphis mammis 8 intra abdomen
Amoen acad. 1. p. 279. mus Ad. fr. 10.
Philander Seb. mus. 1. p. 64 t 39.
Opossum Tyson Act 290 p 64. t 39
Carigue Lact. amer. 551.
Carigueya brasiliensibus Margr. brass 223
pis. bras. 322. Johnst quad. 136. t 63
Mariticaca Rai. quad. 182 t.63.
Tlaquatzin Hermand. Mex. 330
Habitat in America. victitat Gallinis
sachori [sacchari] culmis arbores scandit, prosecutus
a Canibus se mortui instar contrahit.
canibus non esculenta; terrefacta pullos
lactantes intra alvum recepit.
Lin. S. N: p. 72 Edit: nov:
The Opposum
mine came from Virginia
Accompanying material
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Mammalia Ferae Didelphis
Marsupialis
Didelphis with 8 teats on the abdomen.
Amoen acad. 1. p. 279. mus Ad. fr. 10.
Philander Seb. mus. 1. p. 64 t 39.
Opossum Tyson Act 290 p 64. t 39
Carigue Lact. amer. 551.
Carigueya brasiliensibus Margr. brass 223
pis. bras. 322. Johnst quad. 136. t 63
Mariticaca Rai. quad. 182 t.63.
Tlaquatzin Hermand. Mex. 330
It lives in America. It feeds on chickens
and the stalks of sugarcane; it climbs trees;
when hunted by dogs it makes itself look dead.
It is not fit for dogs to eat; when frightened it carries
its suckling young in its pouch.
Lin. S. N: p. 72 Edit: nov:
The Opposum
mine came from Virginia
Alternative identifier(s)
Volume number
Mammals Volume 3, Painting 28