PREFATORY NOTE 



It has always been my belief that " the man in 

 the street " has more interest in natural history, 

 as in other intellectual matters, than eclectics 

 would credit him with ; and hence I venture to 

 offer to the public this series of chapters on 

 various topics connected with animal — especially 

 bird — life, which I have had reason to suppose 

 would prove interesting to the general reader. 



At the same time I have embodied therein the 

 outcome of long observation, so that natural- 

 ists themselves may perhaps find somewhat to 

 interest them in the volume, at any rate if 

 they agree with me that the life-history of an 

 animal is at least as worthy a subject for serious 

 scientific study as its structure, whether internal 

 or external. 



My thanks are due to the editors of Country 



Life, The County Gentleman, The Daily Exfi?'ess, 



Animal Life, The Countryside, Cage Birds, The 



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