THE ARTIST'S Ty/RDS. 201 



renders their representation easy, but very effective 

 too. 



Several of the smaller birds lend themselves 

 admirably to the painter's art. What, for instance, 

 can we select more beautiful than a Sky-Lark 

 {Alauda cirvensis) soaring upwards to the zenith, 

 vignetted in blue ethereal space? But the bird 

 must be faultlessly drawn, and the idea of motion 

 correctly conveyed, otherwise a charming subject 

 will be irrevocably spoiled. Swallows and Martins 

 also admit of artistic treatment, and may be intro- 

 duced into almost any kind of landscape with 

 advantage. But let us have the Swallow {Hirundo 

 rustica), with its nearly uniform steel-blue upper 

 ):)lumage and dark band across the chest, extremely 

 narrow and elongated outer tail feathers, and bright 

 chestnut forehead and throat ; the House Martin 

 {Clielidon urh'ca), with white underparts and upper 

 parts steel-blue, except the rump and some of the 

 upper tail coverts which are white, forming a 

 conspicuous patch when the bird is flying, the tail 

 short and deeply forked, but the outermost feathers 

 not elongated. The Sand Martin (^Cotijle riparia) 

 is the least attractive and conspicuous in its plumage, 

 being brown above and white below, except a brown 

 band across the chest. The Wheatear {Saxicola 



