THE ARTIST'S BIRDS. 199 



an element of much-needed variety into his 

 works. 



I pass now to the landscape painter's portion of 

 the subject. Here the choice is even more ex- 

 tensive, but the artist has sadly neglected his 

 opportunities. Almost every landscape admits of 

 the introduction of bird-life in some form, and 

 many phases of bird-life contain all the elements 

 for most effective studies. I pass over most of the 

 smaller species not because they are any the less 

 worthy, but because their small size is an obstacle 

 to their successful artistic treatment, unless drawn 

 specially and life-size. What an infinite variety of 

 subjects might be selected, for instance, from the 

 Raptores, or Birds of Prey : the Golden Eagle 

 (Aquila chrysaetus) amongst the mountain crags 

 not in the act of attacking healthy birds or beasts 

 much stronger and more pugnacious than himself, 

 but either standing on some favourite crag in 

 solitude, or striking the weak and defenceless lamb 

 , or death-stricken beast ; or, yet again, at his eyrie 

 far up the beetling cliffs : the White-tailed Eagle 

 (Haliaetus albicilla), sailing proudly over the moun- 

 tain lochs, or beating about the sheep farms and 

 the coasts in quest of carrion : the Peregrine (Falco 

 peregrinus), all dash and vigour and nervous excite- 



