XXXVII. 



PICTURESQUE ANIMALS. 



It may be observed that in pictures, when a certain 

 effect is required, an animal is often introduced whose 

 character and habits correspond with the scenery, or the 

 sentiment to be awakened. A scene in nature, without 

 some such accompaniment, often fails in producing any 

 emotion in the mind. A heron standing on the borders 

 of a solitary mere, a kingfisher sitting on the leafless 

 branch of a tree that extends over the tide, a wood- 

 pecker climbing the denuded branch of an oak, yield to 

 the respective scenes in which they are represented, a 

 life and a character which could not be so well ex- 

 pressed without them. A few cows grazing on a grassy 

 slope, a dog reposing at the door step of a cottage, or 

 a cat quietly slumbering inside of the window, are 

 each suggestive of pleasant images of rural life, and 

 add greatly to the interest of the scene. The majority 

 of animals require to be seen in connection with cer- 

 tain other objects to acquire a picturesque expression ; 

 but there are others which are endowed with this 

 quality in a remarkable degree, and need only to be 

 seen in any situation to awaken a certain agreeable train 

 of images. 



