THE ARTIST'S BIRDS. 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 arvensis) 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 

 rustled) 9 with its nearly uniform steel-blue upper 

 plumage and dark band across the chest, extremely 

 narrow and elongated outer tail feathers, and bright 

 chestnut forehead and throat ; the House Martin 

 (Cfielidon urbicd), 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 {Cotyle 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 (Saxlcola 



