TNTBODUCTION xxi 



' British * list as occasional visitors, about 55 or 60 deserve 

 that description, since they do, as a fact, visit the British 

 Islands at irregular intervals. All the others are accidental 

 stragglers. 



It only remains to add something on another subject — the 

 little hfe-histories of the two hundred and odd species de- 

 scribed in this volume. Although this is in no sense a con- 

 troversial subject, the apologetic tone must be still used. I 

 wish that these sketches had been better done, but I do not 

 greatly regret that they had to be brief. The longest history 

 of a bird ever written, the most abounding in facts and 

 dehghtful to read, when tested in the only sure way — 

 namely, by close observation of its subject — is found to be 

 scarcely more complete or satisfactory than the briefest, 

 which contains only the main facts. This is because birds 

 are not automata, but intelligent beings. Seebohm has well 

 said, 'The real history of a bird is its life-history. The 

 deepest interest attaches to everything that reveals the little 

 mind, however feebly it may be developed, which lies behind 

 the feathers.' It has been remarked more than once that 

 we do not rightly appreciate birds because we do not see 

 them well. In most cases persecution has made them 

 fearful of the human form ; they fly from us, and distance 

 obscures their delicate harmonious colouring and blurs the 

 exquisite aerial lines on which they are formed. When we 

 look closely at them, we are surprised at their beauty and 

 the indescribable grace of their varied motions. An analogous 

 effect is produced by a close observation of their habits 

 or actions, which, seen from afar, may appear few and mono- 

 tonous. Canon Atkinson, in his * Sketches in Natural History ' 

 (1865), has a chapter about the partridge, prefaced by Yarrell's 

 remark, that of a bird so universally known there was httle 

 that was new to be said. While admitting the general truth 

 of this statement, the author goes on to say - ' Still, I have 

 from time to time observed some shght peculiarity in the 

 habits of the partridge that I have not seen noticed in any 

 professed description of the bird, forming certain passages, as 



