C 310 ] 
emotions and paftions, with their feathers perfectly 
fmooth and unaffected, 
" Rage with unruffled plumes and fear with falded 
“ wings,” 
and this abfurdity is the more ftriking, and therefore 
the lefs excufeable, as the aCtion of the wings and 
feathers are more intelligible and expreffive than 
thofe of any other parts in birds. Great attention 
fflould always be had to the poize of the body: 
in fuch portions as a live bird may be fupofed 
to continue fome time in, we mud take care that 
the body appears in equilibrium; on the contrary, 
in fighting and other violent aCtions, where a 
forceable motion is to be given, the appearance of 
equilibrium muft be as carefully avoided, for it 
always conveys the idea of ftillnefs, as do the legs 
when placed by each other, and in the fame ftraight 
direction, which they fhould feldom if ever be in. 
Bending, advancing, or retiring, one leg a little 
more than the other, not only gives a more graceful 
but a more lively and and aCtive appearance ; and it is 
obfervable that living birds, {landing on a plain fur- 
face, almoft always turn the foot of the leg on that 
fide to which they are looking in the fame lateral 
direction with the head. I cannot help obferving 
here one fault very common with mod prefervers ; 
that is, the flretching the legs of their birds down fo 
as to bring the thigh almoft perpendicular, which 
not only gives the bird an ungraceful but an unnatu- 
ral appearance ; for we feldom or never obferve this 
in living birds, except in fome particular fpecies. 
Birds 
