2 A BOOK OF BIRDS 



branded by the ignorant of those dark days. Among the ancient 

 Greeks, and still more ancient Egyptians, birds were held in no light 

 esteem, as may be seen in the literature of the one, and the hierogly- 

 phics on the Pyramids of the other ; while among later people, from 

 Jewish historical times onwards, we find that, in one way or another, 

 birds are constantly referred to. But the scientific study of birds, 

 nevertheless, cannot be said to have begun until centuries after these 

 old observers had passed away. 



The foundations of this study, one cannot but feel proud to think, 

 were laid by two Englishmen, Francis Willughby (born 1635, died 

 1672) and John Ray (born 1628, died 1705). To the labours of 

 these two men — and especially of the former — we owe the first serious 

 and useful attempt to classify birds, and their success was due to the 

 fact that their knowledge was based on practical experience, com- 

 bined with an ability to weigh and analyse the facts they set them- 

 selves to arrange. To-day we have adopted quite other ideas as 

 to the relationships of birds and their classification, yet every true 

 ornithologist will regard Willughby and Ray as the patron saints 

 of ornithology. To sketch the further progress of our beloved science, 

 or to trace even in outline the achievements of the many illustrious 

 workers who have so unsparingly laboured in this field during the 

 last two centuries, would be a task too long and too difficult. Our 

 purpose, in this chapter, is rather to give a brief summary of the 

 state of our knowledge of birds generally to-day, which shall be at 

 once interesting, brief, and accurate. 



Without more ado, then, let us begin with the question : What 

 is a bird ? Briefly, a bird may be distinguished from all other living 

 creatures by its covering of feathers. Not by this token alone, 

 however, are birds to be distinguished, since they differ almost as 

 markedly in the matter of their skeleton. But it is not enough that 

 we should be able to quote the '' hall-mark," so to speak, by which 

 our favourites are to be recognised. At least, it is not enough for 

 those of us who are not content with mere facts — for facts in them- 

 selves are about as nourishing as rusty nails. Thus, then, we ask 

 instinctively, How have the birds come by these distinguishing char- 

 acters ? The answer to this riddle has been furnished partly by 

 the anatomist and partly by those who have spent their lives in reading 



