Mr. Atkinson's SJcetch of the late T. Bemck. 157 



to go on, which is the cause of the variety of opinion so apparent in 

 the vignette. 



His power of giving each characteristic of animals, even at a distance, 

 was extraordinary ; it is exemphfied in his distant flights of birds, which 

 can always be recognized ; and when he gives to them any cause of 

 excitement, they are highly entertaining : as an illustration of this, 

 I would call the attention of the reader to a very beautiful vignette 

 at page 109, vol i. of two cows drinking ; above which we have most 

 intelligibly depicted the futile attempts of a hawk to make his escape 

 from the buffettings of two tyrannical crows ; the magpies, like school- 

 boys, only being there to see the fun. 



The back ground to the Blackbird (123), is a view of Cherry Burn. 



His idea of the old farmer so excessively drunk, within sight of his 

 own house, as not to be able to lie still without laying hold of the 

 ground, which he seems eagerly endeavouring to accomplish, is ex- 

 plained by the date on the stone in the foreground. 



He could never, he said, please himself in his representations of wa- 

 ter in a state of motion, and a horse galloping : his taste must have been 

 fastidious indeed, if that beautiful moonlight scene at sea C120 v. ii.), 

 the river scene at 126, the sea breaking among the rocks at 168, or I77, 

 or 200, or 216 ; or the rippling of the water as it laves the feet of the 

 old fisherman at page 95, did not satisfy him : I am inclined to think it 

 was only with water in a falling state that he could not please himself, 

 as in some cases he makes his representation of it assume a rather stiff 

 appearance : of his horse galloping, too, I think he spoke too severely : 

 at least he gives one at page 261, vol. i. which seems very easy and 

 natural in its motion. 



I often urged to him the propriety of publishing, as an accompani- 

 ment to the British Birds, the figures of their eggs, and for along time 

 — ^in fact till the period of his death — he entertained the idea : he was 

 fully aware, how much a work of this kind was required, and had even 

 decided on doing it in aquatint, for the better reception of colours. 



He intended to lay under requisition in this undertaking the high 

 talents of his daughter. Miss Jane Bewick, and I fear it is to her 



VOL. I. Y 



