Method of Drawing Birds, 49 



son, by adopting a different course of representation from the 

 mare profil&Jike cut figures, given usually in works of that 



The first part of my undertaking proved for a long time 

 truly irksome. I saw my attempt flat, and without that life 

 that I have always thought absolutely necessary to render 

 them distinguishable from all those priorly made ; and had I 

 not been impelled by the constant inviting sight of new and 

 beautiful specimens which I longed to possess, I would pro- 

 bably have abandoned the task that I had set myself, very 

 shortly after its commencement. 



Discoveries, however, succeeded each other sufficiencly ra- 

 pidly to give me transient hopes, and regularity of application 

 at length made me possessor of a style that I have continued 

 to follow to this day. 



Immediately after the establishment of this style, I destrcnj^ 

 ed and disposed of nearly all the drawings I had accumulated, 

 (upwards of 200,) and with fresh vigour began again, having 

 all my improvements about me. ^{ >^. uo. 



The woods that I continually trod contained not only birds 

 of richest feathering, but each tree, each shrub, each flower, 

 attracted equally my curiosity and attention, and my anxiety 

 to have all those in my portfolios introduced* the thought of 

 joining as much as possible nature as it existed. 



I formed a plan of proceeding, with a view never to alter 

 it very materially. I had remarked that few works contained 

 the females or young of the diff*erent species ; that in many 

 cases, indeed, those latter had frequently been represented 

 as different, and that such mistakes must prove extremely 

 injurious to the advancement of science. My plan was then to 

 form sketches in my mind\^ eye, each representing, if possible, 

 each family as if employed in their most constant and natural 

 avocations, and to complete those family pictures as chance 

 might bring perfect specimens. > 



The knowledge I had already acquired of the habits of 

 most of them enabled me to arrange my individuals in rough 

 outlines, finishing probably at the time only one of the num- 

 ber intended to complete it, and putting the drawing thus be- 

 gun aside, sometimes for months, and sometimes for years. 



VOL. VIII. NO. I. JAN. 1828. J) - 



