McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Orchard Oriole [male] & [female]
Orchard Oriole, male and female
Icterus spurius; Icterus spurius fuertesi
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 male and female Orchard Oriole from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: North America into Southern Canada,
Southern Mexico, and Central America,] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Orchard Oriole [male] & Fuertes oriole [male] (Icterus spurius; Icterus spurius fuertesi)
Scientific name: Icterus spurius; Icterus spurius fuertesi
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf:
Aves Picae Oriolus
11 Spurius
Oriolus, Niger subtus Fulvus; fasciaq[ue]
alarum alba. L.S.N. ed. 12. p.162.
Icterus minor Cates. cer. 1. p. 48. t. 48.
Icterus minor Spurius Brisson. av. 2. p.111.
t. 10. f. 3.
Habitat in America septentrionali.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf:
Aves Picae Oriolus
11 Spurius
Oriolus, black, with reddish-yellow underparts; and a white
band on the wings. L.S.N. ed. 12. p. 162.
Icterus minor Cates. cer. 1. p. 48. t. 48.
Icterus minor Spurius Brisson. av. 2. p.111.
t. 10. f. 3.
It lives in North America.