Pree pac i. 
ee 
Tur chief aim of the writer of this little volume has 
been to accurately record his own experience and 
observations in the life history of the eight species 
of birds described in its pages. 
The information presented to the reader has been 
with few exceptions the result of many hours of 
patient watching and waiting on the part of the 
writer. The scenes of his observations have been 
found in that bird-lover’s paradise—the New Forest, 
and also in various parts of the British Isles. 
As regards the illustrations, the eight full-page 
plates have been reproduced from photographs of 
his cases; while the smaller illustrations in the text 
have been specially drawn from his specimens. 
Some of the papers have appeared from time to 
time in Knowledge, but they have since been 
re-written; while two have appeared in Science 
Gossip. 
