McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Redstart [male]&[female]
Common Redstart, male and female
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
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 pair of male and female Common Redstarts from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, West Africa, and East Africa.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Redstart [male]&[female] (Pheonicurus phoenicurus)
Scientific name: Phoenicurus phoenicurus
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Motacilla
Phoenicurus
34 Mottacilla gula nigra, abdomine
rufo; capite dorsoq[ue] cano. L.S.N. p. 157
Ruticilla. Will. p. 215
The Redstart.
Aves Passeres Hirundo
Caerulea
Fr. tota violaceo-caerulea.
Cauda subforcipata. Rostrum
nigrum. Pedes nigricantes.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Motacilla
Phoenicurus
34 Mottacilla with a black throat, red abdomen;
grey head and back. L.S.N. p. 157
Ruticilla. Will. p. 215
The Redstart.
Aves Passeres Hirundo
Caerulea
Fr. it is entirely bluish-violet.
with a scissor-like tail, black beak,
and black feet.