McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Merlin
Falco columbarius
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 Merlins from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: North America, Europe, Russia, Central and Northeast Asia, and Northern South America.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Manuscript note on back of drawing: The Small Carolina Hawks Catesby
Scientific name: Falco columbarius
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Accipitres Falco
20 Sparverius LSN. p.128
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Accipitres Falco
20 Sparverius LSN. p.128
20 Falco with a yellow cere, tawny head, red crown
and abdomen; and blue wings.
Accipiter minor Catesb. carol. 1 p.5. t.5.
Aesalon Carolinensis Brison: av. p.386
t 32. fig 1. It lives in America.
The head of the female is ringed with 7 black spots.
The small Carolina Hawk.
These Birds were sent from Carolina. if
the same species with those described by
Linaeus the difference of Colour may have
been occasion by Age.
but the spots on the Breast & thighs agree
so to the European Aesalon that I make no
doubt but that Brisonius gave the name
of his bird from the similitude of [the] stripes
or spots.