Figure Piping by M.C.A. F. Russell — Read

Having made as plain as I can the method to be adopted in piping the preceding outline sketches, I will leave the aquatic subject in the hands of the advancing student, and, as we have gone fairly well-as far as variety is concerned-into ornithological designs, I think we may venture to touch upon the borders of that boundless field for practice-the animal world. Here it is somewhat difficult to select anything for the initial stages as being easier of execution than its fellows-that being a matter of opinion. All are beautiful in design, and well fitted for their usefulness and their needs, and we as copyists from Nature have first of all to acquire an anatomical knowledge of the general form of our living model, and then crown that knowledge by a never-ceasing observance of its characteristic attitudes, so that we may, by a few slight pressures of the paper cornet, give expression to the animal we endeavour to portray. However, I think that the deer tribes have, from time immemorial, lent themselves to the causes of art, and, as far as I can see, are as easy as anything; but I would advise anyone to avoid, as much as possible, the study of those to be seen on some of the old tapestries, or reproductions, which we see occasionally in the illustrated papers from the pictures by the "old masters"; because, if these were taken from life, we can only come to the conclusion that the breed of stags in those days was very different to what it is now-and we don't want to study deer as they _were_, but as they _are_. It is not very easy for the young piper to study these beautiful creatures from life, unless he happens to live within easy distance of such places as Windsor or Richmond Park. True, the Londoner can view a few specimens in the Zoological Gardens; but they are mostly foreigners, and, of course, are not seen at their best within a wired enclosure, although even that is an opportunity which should not be lost sight of; and, failing that we can all have the benefit of the great and accurate pictures which England's greatest animal painter-Sir Edwin Landseer-has left behind for our admiration and our education. Supposing, then, for a start, we take a couple of deer-the ordinary red deer of deer-stalking fame-wild and unfettered in his Highland home. We have few opportunities of seeing him, so we have to draw a little on the imagination and the description of those who have. True, he is used for stag-hunting in England, but on entirely different conditions to the first named sport; for here he is deprived of his horns, and kept in a semi-domesticated condition, taken to the place of meeting in a cart, released, and, after a time limit, the hounds are laid on his track. He seldom gets killed, however, for, when he has had enough of the sport, he usually trots into some farmhouse or out-building, is recaptured, and lives to run another day.

To commence the subject I have selected, take a fine-pointed cornet, with the usual amount of Glacé Royal therein, and start piping the top part of the head of stag, which is intended to represent one that is looking the other way; in this position I think it advisable to complete the head, including the antlers, before starting with the body. Now take your line down the front part of the neck to the lowest point of the shoulders, and then another line from the back of the neck over the withers to the root of the tail, then over the haunch down to the hock of the left leg, which it will be noticed is slightly forward. The fore legs may now be completed, and the line brought under the stomach, the left hind leg finished, and the right hind leg slightly extended backward, as if suddenly brought up to the halt by something which has attracted the animal's attention. The tail can now be added, and a very brief inspection will suffice to convince the student if this outline figure is in proper proportion, always remembering that a stag has a rather "tubby" appearance about the body in proportion to the thinness of his legs. He does not appear to be symmetrically built for speed, like the racehorse or greyhound, for instance; but he can go for all that. His mate, the hind, which is represented on the left, may be piped first from the top of the head and down to the throat; the ears may then be put on, and the line for the back of the neck brought down over the withers along the back, over the rump, and down to the back of the forelegs which may now be put in; then the stomach and the hind legs completed, and this will constitute the first outline group in the animal life. Of course, there is a variety of positions in which we may pipe a stag, and, later on, these will be touched upon: but while the student is learning the one thoroughly, he is laying in a store of ability to branch off in whichever way his fancy leads him.