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Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Common Widow-bird [male]
General material designation
Parallel title
Pin-tailed Whydah
Other title information
Vidua macroura
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Caption title.
- Parallel titles and other title information: Title from Mousley: Vidua principalis
Level of description
Item
Repository
Reference code
CA RBD MSG BW002-646
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
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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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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 pair of Pin-tailed Whydahs from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Notes area
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Accruals
General note
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Common Widow-bird [male] (Vidua principalis)
General note
Manuscript note on back of drawing: The Black and White long-tailed Sparrow or Widow Bird hen wanting
General note
Scientific name: Vidua macroura
Accompanying material
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Accompanying material
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Loxia
Aves Passeres Emb[e]riza
21 Vidua
Emb[e]riza Nigricans, subtus albida.
Rectricibus intermediis quatuor
elongatis acuminatis duobus longissimis
rostro rubro.
Lin: S. N. ed: nov. p. 312
Passer indicus macrourus, rostro minaceo
Aldro. orn 2 p. 565. Will. orn 184 Rai: av 87
Vidua Major Briss. av. 2. p. 227. t 8 f 2
Habitat in India.
The Black & White Widow Bird
Accompanying material
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Loxia
Aves Passeres Emb[e]riza
21 Vidua
Emb[e]riza Nigricans [The black...], with white underparts,
four central tail feathers that are pointed
and elongated, two very long feathers,
and a red beak.
Lin: S. N. ed: nov. p. 312
Passer indicus macrourus, rostro minaceo
Aldro. orn 2 p. 565. Will. orn 184 Rai: av 87
Vidua Major Briss. av. 2. p. 227. t 8 f 2
It lives in India.
The Black and White Widow Bird
Alternative identifier(s)
Volume number
Birds Volume 10, Painting 35