266 ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 



under the tail, instead of above it, expressive of 

 ignoble indolence. 



Your dove will be in artless, fearless innocence ; look- 

 ing mildly at you, with its neck, not too much stretched, 

 as if uneasy in its situation ; or drawn too close into 

 the shoulders, like one wishing to avoid a discovery; 

 but in moderate, perpendicular length, supporting the 

 head horizontally, which will set off the breast to the 

 best advantage. And the breast ought to be conspi- 

 cuous, and have this, attention paid to it : for when a 

 young lady is sweet and gentle in her manners, kind 

 and affable to those around her ; when her eyes stand 

 in tears of pity for the woes of others, and she puts a 

 small portion of what Providence has blessed her with 

 into the hand of imploring poverty and hunger, then 

 we say, she has the breast of a turtle-dove. 



You will observe how beautifully the fea- 



The feathers. , ,,. 



thers of a bird are arranged ; one tailing 

 over the other in nicest order ; and that, where this 

 charming harmony is interrupted, the defect, though 

 not noticed by an ordinary spectator, will appear im- 

 mediately to the eye of a naturalist. Thus, a bird not 

 wounded, and in perfect feather, must be procured if 

 possible ; for the loss of feathers can seldom be made 

 good ; and where the deficiency is great, all the skill of 

 the artist will avail him little in his attempt to conceal 

 the defect ; because, in order to hide it, he must con- 

 tract the skin, bring down the upper feathers, and 

 shove in the lower ones, which would throw all the 

 surrounding parts into contortion. 



You will also observe, that the whole of the skin 

 does not produce feathers, and that it is very tender 

 where ,the feathers do not grow. The bare parts are 



