( II3 ) 
and 'Fore-Shortenings, which make up the agreeable Variety of mafterly Compofitlons^ 
muft be avoided, lead: they hide what is mod confpicuous in the natural Defcriptions. 
On impartially examining the Drawings of the Figures in this fecond Part, and 
comparing them with other Works of this Kind, I cannot charge myfelf with falling 
diort of any Thing publidied of late Years on Birds : But, lead a natural Fondnefs of 
one's own Offspring diould prompt me to go beyond what others may think Truth, 
I would have every one endeavour, either to difprove or confirm the Truth of what 
I fay, fo often as he has Opportunity to compare thefe Figures with Nature itfelf. I 
fpeak here in Relation to Figures only; for, as to Elegancy of Stile in Writing, I 
mud give Place to many. In colouring after Nature one flaould be careful that the 
Lights be not made too light, efpecially where Subjedls are of dark Colours, becaufe 
it may deceive thofe who we defign to inform, by making them believe thofe 
Subjeds are lighter colour’d than they really are in Nature, every indifferent 
Judge not confidering, that an Artid cannot exprefs the Fullnefs of Light and Sha- 
dow in a Pidure, as they appear in natural Objeds : For Example, what Man can 
exprefs the Fullnefs of a Shadow in an Objed that is wholly Black; for the Paper 
or Canvafs the Objed is drawn on, mud be expofed to a good Light to fliew it advan- 
tageoufly to the Eye, by which Means the blacked Shadow one can make will ap- 
pear as light as the highed Light of the fame black Objed placed in the fame Degree 
of Light; fo that we are condrained to raife our Lights in fuch Objeds fomething 
above their Appearance in Nature, otherwife all w^ould be flat; for as we cannot 
anake the Shadows fo dark as they appear in Nature (Shadows in Painting being ex- 
pofed to a drong Light) fo confequently our Lights mud be lighter than they appear 
.in Nature, that there may be the fame Proportion between Light and Shadow in Pic- 
tures as there is in natural Objeds ; but an Excefs of Light ought to be avoided, 
otherwife in Painting a black Objed, we may give the Beholder rather an Idea of 
Grey. In painting Objeds perfedly white, you have not the Advantage of raifing 
your Lights above what your natural Objed prefents, fo that in Pidures there cannot 
he fo great a Difference between dark and light Objeds, as in natural Bodies : This 
Way of Reafoning in Relation to Painting might be carried to a great Length. I for- 
merly imagined it poflible, by the highed Perfedion in the Art of Painting, to de- 
ceive the Eye, by performing what might be taken for Nature ; but, fmee I hit on 
the above Reafons, I plainly difeover it to be impradicable. I have obferved, that 
rude Scene Paintings in Theatres are more deceptive than more finifhed Works, but 
this proceeds from the Didance and Lamp Light in which we view them. 
It is obfervable, that there are Birds peculiar to fome particular Trads of Land, 
which will not propagate or fpread themfelves into other Countries, tho’ in the fame 
Latitude, and on the fame Ifland, by which they might very eafily extend themfelves, 
if one particular Place had not fomething in it, unknown to us, which caufes them to 
continue where they are. To Indance one amongd many, by Way of Example, 
the Cori^ijh Chough, or Coracias of Aldrovaitd, is faid by Mr. Willoughby, in his Orni- 
thology, to breed on the Cleds and Rocks of Cornwal, and on the Coads of Wales, 
and all the Wedern Coads of Englayid. Yet I cannot learn that there are any of 
them on the Southern Coads of England to the Eadward of Devonjhire, nor on any 
Part of the Eadern Coads ; tho’ thefe are in parallel Latitudes to the Wedern Coads 
R where 
