McGill Library
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Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker, female
Dryocopus pileatus
Cha. Collins Fect July 1741
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 Pileated woodpecker from 18th century specimen[modern geographical distribution: the United States and Canada (excluding the Great Plains and the Southwest desert regions)].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Pileated Woodpecker (Ceophloeus pileatus female) Cha. Collins Fect July 1741;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: Picus martius Linaei, the black Carolina woodpecker described by Catesby
Scientific name: Dryocopus pileatus
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Pileatus
P. niger, capite cristato rubro, temporibus
alisque albis maculis. L.S.N. p 113
Habitat in America
Martius.
Picus niger, pileo coccineo. L.S.N. p 112
Habitat in Europa.
The Black Woodpecker
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Pileatus
P. niger [The black pileated...] with a red crest on its head, and white spots on the temples and on the wings. L.S.N. p113 It lives in America
Martius
Picus niger [The black woodpecker], with a scarlet cap. L.S.N. p 112
It lives in Europe.
The Black Woodpecker