McGill Library
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H3A 0C9
Sparrow-Hawk [female]
Eurasian Sparrowhawk, female
Accipiter nisus
Char. Collins Fect 1739
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 female Eurasian Sparrowhawk from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: Europe, Asia, and East Africa].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Sparrow-Hawk [female] (Accipiter nisus) Char. Collins Fect 1739;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: The Sparrow Hawk Accipiter fringillaria seu Nisus Recentiorum
Scientific name: Accipiter nisus
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Accipitres Falco
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Accipitres Falco