THE ARTISTS BIRDS. 1S9 



colours, one of Black Game [l^^tran tctrix) and 

 the other of Partridges [Perd/\v ciiiarea), also 

 brought with them the scent of the moorlands and 

 the fielils. Again we have the work of an artist- 

 naturalist — of one who evidently makesit his business 

 to studv the habits and peculiarities of the birds he 

 portrays. In one minor detail, however, the "old 

 Adam" breaks out. By painting two birds of each 

 sex an impression is created that Black Grouse are 

 monogamous instead of polygamous ; neither do 

 the cocks and hens consort much in autumn, the 

 season inferred from the accessories. Several small 

 drawings of Blue Titmice (Parus ccerulens) bring 

 me back again to the unpleasant task of finding 

 fault. In one drawing we are shown a pair of these 

 birds on the ground — evidently painted from badly 

 stuffed specimens, and by an artist ignorant of 

 the arrangement of a bird's plumage. Now the 

 Blue Titmouse is not a ground bird by any means, 

 but spends most of its time among the slender 

 branches and twigs, which it diligently searches for 

 food. How much better then would this study 

 have been had the pert, comical little birds been 

 shown clinging to some long droo[)ing twig, and 

 not clothed in ragged (artistic r) plumes, but neat 

 and trim and lively, as they always are in life r 



