McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo
Coccyzus vetula
Item
1 watercolour painting ; 56 x 39 cm
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 Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: Jamaica.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Scientific name: Coccyzus vetula
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Cuculus cauda cuneiformi rostro longo nigro paululin [paululum] in incur-
-vato vertice Castaneo circulis occulorum
rubris Genis albidis parte inferiore lutea
pedibus nigris. parte superiore virescente
remigibus rufescentibus rectricibus
virescentibus sed duobus cactinis [cotinis] nigris
maculis duobus albis
in museo Brit.
non Descript. ut opinor.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Cuculus with a wedge-shaped tail, a long, black, and a very slightly curved beak, a chestnut-coloured crown, red eye-rings,
white cheeks, yellow underparts, and
black feet; green upperparts,
reddish flight feathers on the wings, green
flight feathers on the tail, but with two purplish black
patches and two white patches.
It is in the British Museum.
I believe there is no description.