( “3 ) 
and Fore-Shoftenlngs, which make up the agreeable Variety of mafterly Compof tion.', 
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 
fhort of any Thing publilhed of late Years on Birds : But, lead a natural Fondnels of 
one’s own Offspring fhould 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 
muft give Place to many. In colouring after Nature one fhould 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 thofc 
Subjeds are lighter colour’d than they really are in Nature, every indifferent 
Judge not considering, that an Artift cannot ^xprefs the Fullnefs of Light and Sha¬ 
dow in a Picture, 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, miift be expofed to a good Light to fnew it advan- 
tageoufly to the Eye, by which Means the blacked: Shadow one can make will ap-^ 
pear as light as the highefl Light of the fame black Objed placed in the fame Degree 
of Light; fo that we are conftrained to raife our Lights in fuch Objeds fomething 
above their Appearance in Nature, otherwife all would be flat; for as we cannot 
make the Shadows fo dark as they appear in Nature (Shadows in Painting being ex¬ 
pofed to a ftrong Light) fo confequently our Lights muft 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, 
otl^rwife 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 raiflng 
your Lights above what your natural Objed prefents, fo that in Pidures there cannot 
Idc fo great a Difference between dark, and light Objeds, as in natural Bodies: Thi^ 
Way of Reafoning in Relation to Painting might be carried to a great Length. I for¬ 
merly imagined it poflible, by the higheft Perfedion in the Art of Painting, to de¬ 
ceive the Eye, by performing what might be taken for Nature; but, fince 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 finiflied Works, but 
this proceeds from the Diftance 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 Inftance one amongft many, by Way of Example, 
the Comijh Choughy or Coracias of Aldro'vand, is faid by Mr.' Willoughby^ in liis Orni¬ 
thology, to breed on the Clefts and Rocks of Cornwal, and on the Coafts of Wales, 
and all the Weftern Coafts of England. Yet I cannot learn that there are any of 
them on the Southern Coafts of England to the Eaftward of Devonjlsire, nor on any 
Part of the Eaftern Coafts; tho’ thefe are in parallel Latitudes to the Weftern Coafts 
R wlierc 
