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Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Snow Bunting
General material designation
Parallel title
Snow Bunting
Other title information
Plectrophenax nivalis
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Caption title.
- Parallel titles and other title information: Title from Mousley: Plectrophenax nivalis
Level of description
Item
Repository
Reference code
CA RBD MSG BW002-639
Edition area
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Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
1 watercolour painting ; 56 x 39 cm + 1 leaf
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
(approximately 1720-approximately 1790)
Biographical history
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.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Drawing of a pair of Snow Buntings from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: North America, Europe, and Russia.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Notes area
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General note
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) The Snow Bird from Archangel
General note
The Snow Bird from Archangel
General note
Scientific name: Plectrophenax nivalis
Accompanying material
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Accompanying material
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: The Snow Bird.
This Bird with others Mr Nettleton
procured me from Russia.
It is shaped like the yellow Lam-
-ner or Embriza. its Length from the
tip of the Bill to the End of ye [the] tail
is 7 inches. The Bill short of a
moderate Thickness yellow with a black
tip. The Crown of the head & behind the Ear is of a redish Brown; mottled with black towards the
Bill. Round the Eye is White as is also
the Chin Throat neck & upper part of the
shoulders. on the Chin the Feathers are
long & Form a sort of Beard or Ruff.
The Back is Brown mottled with
Black nearly resembling the colour of
the sky Lark or [on] the Breast is a
Brown spot in the form of a Half moon
or Gorget growing paler next the Belly
which is White as also are the Thighs.
The upper part of the Wing feathers are
coloured like the Back. The Covert
Feathers are White with a small
Black stroak or line on their outward
Edge. The scapulory, are black with
a small brown Edge as are the
longest Quills. The shorter Quill feather[s]
are black Edged with White
The Tail is forked & consists of 12 Feathers
of which the 2 outmost on each side
are white with a small edge of Black
the Gr... The other Feathers of the Tail are
Black Edged with a yellow or pale
Brown. The Feet legs Feet & Claws
are Black & slender the claws sharp & hooked
the Back claw is shorter & more
hooked than is the Lark kind.
Aves Passeres Emberiza
Nivalis.
1 Emberiza remigibus albis: primoribus
extrorsum nigris, rectricibus nigris:
lateralibus tribus albis. L.N.S. [sic] p. 176
Habitat in alpibus Lapponiae,
The
Snow Bird
Accompanying material
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Emberiza
Nivalis
1 Emberiza with white flight feathers on the wings, black
outermost primary wing feathers, and black flight feathers on the tail,
with three white feathers on the sides of the tail. L.N.S. [sic] p. 176
It lives in the Alps of Lapland.
The
Snow Bird
Alternative identifier(s)
Volume number
Birds Volume 10, Painting 28
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Nettleton, Robert, d. 1774 (Collector)