INTRODUCTORY. Bs. 
my purest earthly pleasures. It became my delight to 
watch the habits of the animals and birds I met with in 
my rambles, until there were few that were not familiar 
to me. Like most youths I had a spice of romance 
about me, and I must confess that in spite of the stern 
realities of life, it lingers still. Hour after hour have I 
wandered, sometimes with a companion, but more fre- 
quently alone, in all parts of the forest by night as well 
as by day, until I almost came to know each individual 
tree, and to look upon them as old friends. With what 
delight have I watched on a summer's eve the glow- 
worms light their lamps literally by thousands, until 
almost every blade of grass and frond of fern bore its 
tiny beacon fire. Delighted have I sat 
* To listen as the night winds crept 
From leaf to leaf,” 
and as darkness shrouded everything from view I have 
derived an inexpressible pleasure from the various sounds 
which fell on the ear. 
The long continued whirr of the night-jar would 
alternate with the hoot of the white, or the screech of 
the tawny owl, or the wild cry of the stone plover would 
ring out clear as it passed overhead ; while in some sea- 
sons, but not always, the nightingale would make the 
woods echo with her song. 
Year by year the habit and love of observation has 
grown on me, and one of the results has been the follow- 
ing notes on our forest birds. 
Under this title I have included all I have met with 
in the district, both constant residents and regular or 
occasional visitors, the total number amounting to 172 
species. 
