McGill Library
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Purple-naped Lory
Purple-naped Lory
Lorius domicella
P. Paillou fabravery 1759
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 Purple-naped Lory from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: Seram, Abmon, and Indonesia].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Purple-naped Lory (Purple-naped Lory) P. Paillou fabravery 1759 Lory Cocineo Capite Nigro; The Scarlet Black headed Lory
Scientific name: Lorius domicella
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Lory Coccineo
Capite Nigro
Psitacus Brachyurus pilo [pileo] nigro
Corpore coccineo. alis Viribus. Rostro
albo.
The Sclaret Black headed
Lory
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Lory Coccineo
Capite Nigro [The scarlet Lory with a black head]
Psitacus Brachyurus with a black cap,
scarlet body, green wings, and a white beak.
The Scarlet Black headed
Lory