ZOOLOGY. 



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BIEDS'-NESTINa. 



By ALLEN MARKER. 



[;jj( LIBRARY 



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AS the time of year again comes round when the nesting o\ 

 tions of birds begin, it may not be unseasonable to make to 

 our readers some plea on behalf of our native birds, and to indicate 

 to all who may have influence to exert, or authority to exercise, 

 on the question of birds'-nesting, methods by which alike the 

 study of Ornithology and the interests of our bird population 

 may be best served, and their preservation insured. 



Surely of all God's creatures which delight us, those which give 

 us the purest, most unalloyed pleasure, are the 



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" Feather'd songsters of the grove'"! 



How much of the charm of English or Scottish landscape, of 

 deep wooded lane and open breezy heath and common, is due to 

 the presence of ever active, ever musical bird-life, may be best 

 appreciated by a visit to countries where the birds are songless, 

 or where, as in many parts of the continent, for great stretches of 

 country, scarce a bird is to be seen. Such a visit could not fail 

 to impress the lover of nature with a sense of his duty to use his 

 endeavours to preserve from the dull monotony of a birdless 

 country, the melodious fields and hedgerows of rural England. 



It is not solely on behalf of the birds themselves, and their 

 nests and eggs, that it seems desirable to awaken greater interest 

 and action, but also in favour of a more systematic and accurate 

 study of the subject, combined with a true scientific use of the 

 knowledge thus obtained — knowledge which is now in a purpose- 

 less manner allowed to become lost. 



The building of a bird's nest, the choice of site, the selection 

 and gathering of materials, the deft skill that carries on and per- 

 fects the work ; the number, size, and colour of the eggs, their 

 variations, the period of incubation, the sex of the incubator, the 



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