ir ' PREFACE. 



concentric, parallel, or diagonal, measures their bills and counts 

 their feathers, and having thus performed his task, chuckles 

 over it with the consciousness of his being a philosopher ? Let 

 him alone; you cannot kindle his heart with a spark of ethereal 

 fire ; but come along, and let us study nature wherever we find 

 her glories displayed. We cannot trace a bird without taking 

 note of the plants and knolls and crags among which it lives ; 

 and if it digresses ever in its search for food, so must we digress 

 in describing its actions. 



To the adepts in systematic ornithological lore I have little 

 to say. I presume not to instruct you, cannot hope to amuse 

 you, and am destitute of the ambition of in any way pleasing 

 you. No man can more admire your ingenuity than I, or be 

 more sensible to your merits, more grateful for your good in- 

 tentions, or more ready to receive your instructions ; but the 

 book of nature is open to me as it is to you, and I will try to 

 read it without your guidance. To the lovers of living nature, 

 my friends and fellow students, I would say : let us go toge- 

 ther, talking by the way, imparting and receiving knowledge. 

 You who have but commenced your journey, and whom I may 

 without presumption consider as pupils^ I am persuaded may 

 with some advantage listen to my advice ; and from you who 

 have observed more carefully, and compared more strictly, the 

 objects of our mutual regard, I may learn much that will inte- 

 rest me. To all those who, from whatever motive, may be 

 pleased to peruse this work, I can only say that in it they will 

 fi.nd nothing but what I believe to be correct ; but there are 

 other books on the same subject, and I earnestly recommend to 

 them to compare with it Mr Selby's Illustrations, Mr Jenyns's 

 Manual of British Vertebrate Animals, Mr YarrelFs History 

 of British Birds, Mr Wood's British Songsters, Mr Mudie's 

 Feathered Tribes, and as many more as they may find it ex- 

 pedient to purchase. They all differ from each other, and 

 from this work, but all contain useful information, " setting 

 down," as Don Quixote saith, " the father, mother, country, 

 kindred, age, place and actions to a tittle, and day by day, of the 

 knight and knights of whom they treat," and therefore may be 

 consulted with advantage. 



