16 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



"Throw aside your prejudice, your traditional and 

 derived opinions. Dismiss your pride, and acknowl- 

 edge a kindred. They are your brothers." 



Even a half-correct representation of a bird's 

 art can be conveyed to the uninitiated only by a 

 person who not only is an artist himself, but who 

 has that spiritual understanding and love for all 

 his fellow-artists of the air, whatever their medium 

 of expression. One must really be blind and deaf 

 not to appreciate the many and varied artistic cre- 

 ations of birds. 



Every part of the globe has its feathered artists 

 peculiar to itself, and every one, no matter how 

 crude his efforts, reaches out for artistic expres- 

 sion, just as in the human world the lowest savage 

 is a potential artist. The North has its snow birds 

 and deep-sea divers, whose strength and grace are 

 their chief charms; the South has its weavers, stone- 

 workers, makers of fine fabrics, sewers, dancers, 

 acrobats, singers, tumblers, decorators, and avia- 

 tors; the East has its prophets, professional beau- 

 ties, warriors, and kings; while the West has its 

 miners, scavengers, fishermen, carpenters, farmers, 

 educators, and entertainers. Wherever we look, 

 we must recognise the seeking-after and the reali- 

 sation of artistic expression from the lowest to the 

 highest of all birds. 



