McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Eastern Chipmunk
Tamias striatus
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 Eastern Chipmunks from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Eastern North America.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Manuscript note on back of drawing: Sciurus 6, striatus, flavus striis qua-tuor fuscis longitudinalibus Linnaei; from north America
Scientific name: Tamias striatus
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Mammalia Glires Sciurus
10 Lin. Striatus
Lin. 7. Sciurus Flavus striis quinque
fuscis longitudinalibus. mus. Ad. Fr. 1
p. 8.
Sciurus minor virgalus. Act. petrop.
17 60. v. 5. p 344. t. 9. f. 1.
Raesselvissa Kalm. itin. 2. p. 419.
Habitat in America septentrionali,
siberia, sub terra concamerationibus
plurimis distinctis pro singula messe.
Magnitudine muris musculi vel
paulo major, palmae tetradactylae
plantae pentadactylae. Corpus striis
utrinq[ue] duabus, praeter dorsalem.
The Striped Squirrell
with 5 Stripes.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Mammalia Glires Sciurus
10 Lin. Striatus
Lin. 7. Sciurus golden-yellow with five
tawny stripes running lengthwise. mus. Ad. Fr. 1
p. 8.
Sciurus minor virgalus. Act. petrop.
17 60. v. 5. p 344. t. 9. f. 1.
Raesselvissa Kalm. itin. 2. p. 419.
It lives in North America,
and Siberia, underground, with
many separate vaults for each harvest.
It is the size of the Mus musculus [house mouse] or
a little bigger; the front feet are four-toed
and the back feet are five-toed. The body has two stripes
on either side, and one along the back.
The Striped Squirrell
with 5 stripes