BIRDS: 
THE ELEMENTS 
OF 
OR NEE OLOGY. 

CHAPTER I. 
INTRODUCTION, 
QEN ITHOLOGY is a most popular branch of Natural 
History. That it should be so is a necessary result of the 
exceptional beauty of Birds, which by their vivacious move- 
ments force themselves on our notice and lend animation to 
every landscape. No other creatures, save certain insects, can 
rival them in brilliancy of colour, and none can charm our ears 
with such melody or startle them by the utterance of articulate 
speech. Their intelligence is considerable: some can be taught 
to perform curious tricks, and others are easily domesticated. 
Their emotional nature is also attractive ; the conjugal affe~ 
tion of not a few birds is remarkable, while the devotion they 
show to their offspring and the marvellous skill with which 
many of them prepare a shelter for their brood are known to 
everyone. 
Birds together constitute a group which is ranked as a 
“Class,” and which may be compared and contrasted with the 
Class of Beasts (or Mammals), the Class of Reptiles, and the 
Class of Fishes, all which Classes agree together in being dis- 
tinguished as back-boned, or Vertebrate, animals. 
B 
