McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Heath Hen
Greater Prairie Chicken, male
Tympanuchus cupido
Cha. Collins Fect. May 1742;
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 female Greater Prarie Chicken from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: the Plains of the Central United States].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Heath Hen (Tympanuchus cupido) Cha. Collins Fect. May 1742;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: Tetra cupido Lnaeus; 2 of the Francolins
Scientific name: Tympanuchus cupido
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Cupido
Tetrao pedibus hirsutis alis
succenturiatis cervicalibus [cervicibus]. L.S.N. p. 160
Habitat in Virginia
The Pensylvanian
Pheasant.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Cupido
Tetrao with shaggy feet and ancillary
wings on the nape [neck-tufts]. L.S.N. p.160
It lives in Virginia
The Pensylvanian Pheasant