PREFACE. xiii 



help and advice in this my first Hterary essay; and 

 I will venture to say that in a similar undertaking 

 few have met with more encouragement than has 

 been bestowed on me during the progress of this 

 little w^ork. 



To my friend Mr. R. B. Sharpe, of Cookham, I 

 am much indebted for many interesting notes ; 

 and to the Rev. Charles Wolley, of Eton, the 

 Rev. H. Harpur Crewe, of Drayton Eeauchamp, 

 and Mr. James Britten, of High Wycombe, I am 

 under similar obligations. Mr. J. E. Harting, of 

 Kingsbury, has been most kind in his endeavours 

 to make my work as complete as possible, and I 

 owe him a debt of gratitude for a personal super- 

 vision of the following pages as they were passing 

 through the press. The Rev. Bryant Burgess, of 

 Latimer, has forwarded many ornithological notes 

 from the neighbourhood of Chesham ; and the Rev. 

 E. D. Stone, of Eton College, has, during the pro- 

 gress of this work, furnished many useful hints. 

 The Rev. F. O. Morris was good enough to write 

 me word that I might make any extracts from his 

 'British Birds;' and Mr. Gould has kindly informed 



