XI 



study of bird-life in Nature is beset with 

 difficulties, and if we rely exclusively on 

 the jB.eld observations of the ornitholoorist, 

 we may have to wait long, and, in many 

 instances, in vain. The field observer can 

 not observe a particular bird the whole 

 year through, and has, therefore, to glean 

 facts in many cases from chance obser- 

 vations which may be misleading. The 

 aviculturist, on the other hand, gets an 

 opportunity of studying a bird for years 

 in a scientific way and, if he does so, he 

 can get at many truths regarding its nidi- 

 ^^fication, courting, nesting etc., which are 

 of the greatest interest and importance not 

 only to a systematist for the purposes oi 

 classification, but also to a student of evolu- 

 tion. It is possible, therefore, through 

 aviculture, to have not merely immediate 

 pleasure and bits of knowledge of bird-life, 

 the utility of which is admitted even by 

 men with a practical turn of mind, but 

 also to pursue their highest ideals of ex- 

 tending knowledge for the sake of know- 



