INTRODUCTION. 7 



those who may not be familiar with his former works will at 

 once comprehend, in looking over the five first Lithographs in 

 this volume. I say with perfect confidence that it remains 

 yet for Art in this country, to approach the amazing fidelity 

 and spirit of these Drawings and his glorious Portfolio is hut 

 yet just opened ! I shall give in addition as in this volume 

 five other Lithographs of Foreign Scenes quite as elaborately 

 drawn, but of less costly finish. And I hope so far to perfect, 

 through the skill of my Lithographer, Mr. Rosenthall, the 

 processes by which he has produced these unparalleled speci- 

 mens of the art of Printing in colors upon stone, as to be able 

 to present all the figures of animal life in color and at a cost 

 which will come within the limit of that of the present volume. 

 This I shall regard as indeed a triumph. But the Reader will 

 perceive, that in the singular skill with which the colorist and 

 lithographer, have produced the pictures for this volume, I 

 arid he have much to anticipate. I hope through such able 

 seconding to demonstrate, that the art of printing in colors, 

 which is yet in embryo in Europe, has been left for us to de- 

 velope in this country, as we have that of Daguerreotyping. 



I scarcely think that any specimens of that mysterious art 

 can be produced in England, where it has been longest a 

 subject of emulation, that will compare with my first five litho- 

 graphs by Rosenthall and Kramer, from Miller at least I 

 am very well content to abide the issue of public sentiment 

 with regard to this first experiment 'in a novel field ! 



Here I would introduce to the Reader a new ally such an 

 one as certainly is not often presented in such enterprises. 

 This is no less a personage than my "little Wife," Mrs. E. M. 

 Webber, whose portrait you see associated with my own on 

 the title page of this volume. She is an Artist; and to her 

 hand I am indebted for much of the fine work in illustration 

 of this volume. But this is not her peculiar field the delicate 

 accuracy of the Woman artist will be more prominently and 

 characteristically displayed in our second volume, the title 

 of which will be " Wild Scenes and Song Birds of the World." 



