PREFACE. 
I am quite aware that a good deal has been written 
about the uselessness of mere local ornithological histories, 
and perhaps to a certain extent rightly, as a mere list of 
the birds that fly over or occasionally visit any particular 
county is certainly of very little use; but, on the other 
hand, some account of the nature and habits of the various 
birds belonging to a county, or even to a smaller division, 
such as a parish, cannot help being interesting to the 
inhabitants, especially perhaps to the younger portion of 
them; for Ornithology, and indeed all Natural History, 
begins, like Charity, at home: the boy chases the butterfly 
in his own garden, or robs the bird’s nest in his father’s 
shrubbery or orchard,—perhaps makes a collection of the 
objects that mostly excite his attention,n—and thus an 
interest in these subjects first arises; and for this reason 
some account of the various species he is likely to meet 
with, and of their habits and propensities, is sure to be 
acceptable: therefore, as there is no History of the Birds of 
Somerset at present in existence, I shall make no apology 
for writing one, but only wish that the subject had fallen 
into the hands of one with more spare time to enable him 
to do justice to it. Indeed I should not have taken it up 
A‘ 
