vi EDITOR'S PREFACE. 



of science. Strange as it may seem in one that loved 

 Nature so well, the author read but four authorities on 

 the birds, — Audubon, Wilson, the first part of Stearns's 

 " New England Bird Life," edited by Dr. Coues, and 

 Minot's " Land and Game Birds of New England ; " and 

 none of these were taken up until more than half the work 

 here presented was done. The position is individual, iso- 

 lated ; hence it has been thought advisable to prepare an 

 appendix of expression from those more or wholly at 

 home in the delightful field through which our author 

 strolled, when the mood was on, innocently absorbed, 

 oblivious to the brilliant company before him and on 

 either side. 



Pliny tells how, by mixing the blood of certain birds, a 

 serpent was produced, which eaten of, enabled one to un- 

 derstand what the birds said ; and it is possible that this 

 old simple-hearted, rustic singing-master nibbled deeply 

 enough into the inspiring serpent to interest not only 

 the lover of natural things but those with whom it was 

 not his lot to mingle, — his learned contemporaries. At 

 any rate, he has spoken in his own native way, and his 

 brief message may be audible, if for no other reason, be- 

 cause of the " over-faint quietness " both here and abroad. 

 While wanting certain accessory qualifications for his 

 pleasure-task, our author had this prime requisite, — 

 music was as natural to him, had as much meaning for 

 him, as words. Sound was as much to him as sight. 

 It was his habit to name the pitch, and to dwell on 

 the quality, of any sound he might hear from things 

 animate or inanimate. His test of a poem was the 



