xii P R E F A C E. 



an imitation of nature ; now, who can imi- 

 tate without confulting the original ? But 

 to come to what is more particularly the 

 objed of our inquiries; animal and vegetable 

 life are the effence of landfcape, and often are 

 fecondary objeds in hiflorical paintings; even 

 the fculptor in his limited province would do 

 well to acquire a corrednefs of delign with 

 a perfed: knowlege of the mufcles of animals. 

 But the painter fhould have all this and more; 

 he fhould be acquainted with all their vari- 

 ous tints, their manner of living, their pe- 

 culiar motions or attitudes, and their places 

 of abode *, or he will fall into manifeft er- 

 rors. 



Pliirlmus inde labor tabulas imitando juvabit 

 Egregias, operumque typos, fed plura docebk 

 Natura ante oculos pro'fens^ nam lirmat et auget 

 Vim genii, ex illa^ue anem expeiientia completf^ 



* That great artift, Mr. Ridinger, of Aujlurg, exceeds all 

 others in the three laft particulars ; nothing can equal his 

 prints of animals for propriety of attitudes, for a juft idea of 

 their way of life, and for the beautiful and natural fcenery 

 that accompanies them. His iineft works are, his Wilde 

 Thiere, KhineThiere, zxi^JagdhareThiere-, but there are fcarce 

 any of his performances that can fail giving pleafure to all ad- 

 mirers of nature reprefented as herfelf. 

 « 



f F re/my • ds arU graph % I'm* 537. 



Defcrip- 



