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Oyster Catcher
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegus
Charles Collins Fect 1737;
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 Eurasian Oystercatcher from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: Europe, the coast of Africa, the coast of Asia, and Central Asia].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Oyster Catcher (Haemetopus ostralegus) Charles Collins Fect 1737;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: The Sea Pie Haematopus Bellonius W. p. 297
Scientific name: Haematopus ostralegus
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Haematopus
Rostrum compressum; apice
cuneo aequali. Pedes tridactyli
fissi. L.S.N. p. 152
Ostralegus
The
Sea Pie
No. 22.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Haematopus
The beak is compressed, with an even
wedge-shaped tip. The feet are three-toed
and cleft. L.S.N. p. 152
Ostralegus
The
Sea Pie
No. 22.