THE MODERN ART OF BIRDSNESTING 



THE winter publishing season of 1895-6 produced 

 two books of special interest to outdoor naturalists.* 

 These are Mr Kearton's photographs of the nests 

 and young of birds, and Mrs Blackburn's drawings 

 of the birds of Moidart. Among the latter are some 

 of the best and most original portraits of the young 

 of birds ever painted. Mr Kearton's work is, perhaps, 

 more new in form. He has taken his camera to the 

 hedgerow, the mountain, and the loch-side, and 

 photographed the nests in situ. An examination of 

 these beautiful pictures explains in part why it is that 

 * birdsnesting ' is so attractive an art. They recall 

 a hundred forgotten details of the minor beauty of 

 the country, and enable us to estimate in some degree 

 how much positive beauty, as well as charm of associa- 

 tion, go to make up the pleasure of a day's birds- 

 nesting. 



* (i.) British Birds' Nests. With Original Illustrations. By R. and C. Kearton. 

 London: Cassell and Co. (2.) Birds of Moidart. By Mrs Blackburn. Edinburgh: 

 D. Douglas. 



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