80 NATURAL HISTORY 



This power of combining to produce the effect of 

 nature, like a simple style of writing, seems easy to 

 all, but is hard to acquire. And one who com- 

 mences it supposing he shall succeed because he has 

 been a general admirer of nature, will have occasion 

 to blush for his mistakes, and will find it hard to be 

 natural unless he takes long and patient lessons of 

 the only teacher, Nature herself fixing his eye 

 upon every object till its last touch is stamped upon 

 the mind. Then it can be used, then it is a posses- 

 sion, and " a joy forever." The power which this 

 study gives is well illustrated in the mounting of 

 birds, which some think ought to be reckoned 

 among the fine arts. The learner may become skill- 

 ful in the manual part. Every feather may be in 

 its place as pure and unruffled as in life the eye of 

 glass may rival the real eye in brilliancy, and still 

 there is death. One touch from the master's hand, 

 and you almost start back from the living bird. 

 The power of life lights the eye and seems to reach 

 the tip of every feather. "Whence came the magic 

 power ? It came from the careful study of the bird, 

 till every varying change of life was daguerreotyped 



