OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



INTRODUCTION 



A FEW general remarks upon the Songs of Birds 

 appear to us to be the most appHcable way in which 

 to introduce to the reader the more particular subject 

 matter of the present volume. In the first place it 

 may prove interesting to sketch briefly the general 

 features of bird song through the year. Birds by 

 no means sing promiscuously. They have their 

 times of song as well as their intervals of silence, 

 and these vary a good deal with individual species. 

 Fortunately our favourite song birds are scattered 

 very generally over the country; there are very few 

 places indeed where the music of some bird is not 

 heard ; whilst the best cultivated and more populous 

 areas are literally crowded with songsters of every 

 grade of excellence. Spring and early summer is 

 the great season of song : autumn and winter melody 

 is scarce and fitful. Let us run briefly through the 



