2o8 JOTTINGS ABOUT BIRDS. 



sufficient licence to prevaricate truth for the sake of 

 effect ? I think not. Abundance of efft^ct can be 

 obtained in a legitimate manner from Nature as 

 she is — not as she might be. Again, so far as 

 regards these works in which it is obvious that the 

 artist has drawn on his imagination for his subject, 

 the inaccuracies prove the meagreness of his 

 observation, and unerringly brand them as ideal 

 compositions. Such pictures almost invariably 

 introduce us to birds under the most exceptional 

 circumstances, surrounded by impossible accessories. 

 So long as such a false system of work prevails we 

 shall never arrive at any great standard of accuracy. 

 When the artist begins to observe the birds in 

 their native wilds, and to paint them as they 

 are at home, all ideal composition will be discarded 

 for the genuine subjects, which are infinitely more 

 interesting than any he may invent or compose.- 

 With regard to attitude, the artist is quite justified 

 in painting a bird in any position he may choose, 

 and so long as the bird is drawn correctly, he 

 is beyond the reach of criticism ; but when he 

 makes a subject of his work — when his bird is 

 surrounded by accessories — then we must demand 

 harmonious accuracy in every detail. 



So far as the artist's birds are concerned, too 



