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Red-billed Tropic-bird
Red-Billed Tropicbird
Phaethon aethereus
Cha. Collins Fect. July 1740;
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 Red-Billed Tropicbirds from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Coastal United States and Central America, South America, India, the Middle East, and Africa].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Red-billed Tropic-bird (Phaeton aethereus) Cha. Collins Fect. July 1740; the tail 2 foot 2 Inches long
Manuscript note on back of drawing: The Tropic Bord W. 331
Scientific name: Phaethon aethereus
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Anseres Phaeton.
Athereus.
1 Phaethon [Phaeton] rectricibus duabus
longissimis, rostro serrato digito
postico adnato. L.S.N. p. 134
Habitat in Pelago inter tropicos
The
Tropic Bird
No. 32.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Anseres Phaeton.
Athereus.
1 Phaethon [Phaeton] with two very long flight feathers on the tail, a serrated beak and a toe
at the back for swimming. L.S.N. p. 134
It lives on the sea within the tropics.
The
Tropic Bird
No. 32.