McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Starling ad.
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
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 European Starling from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North Africa, South Africa, and Southern Brazil.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Starling ad. (Sturnus Vulgaris)
Scientific name: Sturnus vulgaris
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Sturnus
Vulgaris
Sturnus rostro flavescente corpore nigro
punctis albis. LSN, 167
The Comon Starling
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Sturnus
Vulgaris
Sturnus with a golden-yellow beak, and black body
with small white spots. LSN, 167
The Com[m]on Starling