McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
White-throated Munia
Scaly Breasted Munia, immature
Lonchura punctulata
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 immature Scaly Breasted Munias from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Hawaii, Caribbean, and the Southern United States.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.
Manuscript note on front of drawing: White-throated Munia (Uruloncha malabarica)
Scientific name: Lonchura punctulata
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Loxia
48 Bicolor.
Loxia fusca, subtus rubra. L.S.N. 207
Rubicilla fusca, minima Ed. av. 83. t. 83. f. 1
Fringilla rubra minor Briss. av. 3. p. 164
Habitat in India.
Magnitudo Loxiae minutae.
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeres Loxia
48 Bicolor.
Loxia fusca [The tawny...], with red underparts. L.S.N. 207
Rubicilla fusca, minima [The small tawny...] Ed. av. 83. t. 83. f. 1
Fringilla rubra minor [The lesser red...] Briss. av. 3. p. 164
It lives in India.
It is the size of the smaller Loxias.