PROSPECTUS OF THE BOOK OP BIEDS. 125 



fruits of my own labours, and what others will not do for me I 

 will try and do for myself. I was very sorry that Mr. Hay's 

 feelings should have been hurt on my account by the young 

 man's silence, but I soon made him at ease again. Sir James 

 volunteered to give me letters to Sir Thomas Ackland and Sir 

 Eobert Inglis, both noblemen of distinction, and patrons of the 

 science I cultivate. The style here far surpassed even Lord 

 Morton's ; fine gentlemen waited on us at table, and two ofthem 

 put my cloak about my shoulders, notwithstanding my remon- 

 strances. 



" March 17. Issued my ' Prospectus ' this morning, for the 

 publication of my great work. 



" The Prospectus. 



" To those who have not seen any portion of the author's 

 collection of original drawings, it may be proper to state, that 

 their superiority consists in the accuracy as to proportion and 

 outline, and the variety and truth of the attitudes and positions 

 of the figures, resulting from the peculiar means discovered and 

 employed by the author, and his attentive examination of the 

 objects portrayed during a long series of years. The author 

 has not contented himself, as others have done, with single profile 

 views, but in very many instances has grouped his figures so as 

 to represent the originals at their natural avocations, and has 

 placed them on branches of trees, decorated with foliage, blossoms, 

 and fruits, or amidst plants of numerous species. Some are 

 seen pursuing their prey through the air, searching for food 

 amongst the leaves and herbage, sitting in their nests, or feeding 

 their young ; whilst others, of a different nature, swim, wade, 

 or glide in or over their allotted element. 



" The insects, reptiles, and fishes that form the food of these 

 birds have now and then been introduced into the drawings. 

 In every instance where a difference of plumage exists between 

 the sexes, both the male and the female have been represented ; 

 and the extraordinary changes whict some specie^ undergo in 

 their progress from youth to maturity have been depicted. The 

 plants are all copied from nature, and, as many of the originals 



