McGill Library
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H3A 0C9
Quail
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnix
Cha. Collins Fect. Octer 1742
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 pair of Common Quails from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Europe, South and East Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and India].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Quail (Coturnix Coturnix) Cha. Collins Fect. Octer 1742
Scientific name: Coturnix coturnix
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Coturnix
T. Pedibus nudis, corpore griseo
maculato, superciliis albis, rectricibus
margine lunulaq[ue] ferruginea.
L.S.N. p. 161
The Quail
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Coturnix
T. with bare feet, a spotted grey body,
white eyebrow stripes, and flight feathers on the tail
with a reddish-brown crescent-shaped edge.
L.S.N p. 161
The Quail