BIRDS 
25 
graceful! They are a study for an artist, 
especially as exhibited in the Warblers 
and Flycatchers: their looks of alarm, of 
curiosity, of repose, of watchfulness, of 
joy, so obvious and expressive, yet as 
impossible of reproduction as their music. 
Even if the naturalist were to succeed in 
imparting all their wild extravagances of 
poise and motion to their inanimate 
forms, his birds, to say the least, would 
have a very theatrical or melodramatic 
aspect, and seem unreal in proportion to 
their fidelity to Nature. 1 have seen a 
Blue Jay alone, saluting and admiring 
himself in the mirror of a little pool of 
water from a low overhanging branch, 
assume so many graceful, novel, as well 
as ridiculous and fantastic attitudes, as 
would make a taxidermist run mad to 
attempt to reproduce; and the rich med¬ 
ley of notes he poured forth at the same 
time—chirping, warbling, cooing, whist¬ 
ling, chattering, revealing rare musical 
and imitative powers—would have been 
an equally severe test to the composer 
who should have aspired to report them; 
and the indignant air of outraged privacy 
