McGill Library
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Tree creeper
Eurasian Treecreeper
Certhia familiaris
Cha. Collins Fect. April 1743
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 Eurasian Treecreepers from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Europe, Turkey, Caucausus, the Altai Mountains, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: Tree creeper (Certhia familiaris) Cha. Collins Fect. April 1743;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: Certhia
Scientific name: Certhia familiaris
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Hyacinthus
Certhia caerulea dorso superiore, alis caudaq[ue] nigris, vertice
cijaneo azureo.
Descr. Rostrum levissime arcuatum pallide
nigrescens. Caput supra splendide,
cyaneum azureum, macula inter basin rostri & oculos nigra. Tota
avis subtus caerulea, dorsum superiore, alae & cauda nigra.
Alarum remiges introrsum ad marginem lutea. Pedes
lutescentes. Magnitudo Certhiae familiaris.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Hyacinthus
Certhia caerulea [The blue...] with a back that is black on top, and wings and a tail that are black, green, and blue.
Descr[iption]. The beak, very slightly arched, is a pale black. The top of the head is bright blue, there is a black patch between the base of the beak & the eyes.
The whole bird is blue, the top of the back, the wings & the tail are black.
The flight feathers of the wings are yellow from the middle to the edge. The feet are yellow. It is the same size as the familiar Certhia.