PREFACE. 



To compress the " Story of Bird-Life " within 

 the limits of the present little work has been no 

 easy task. 



The object aimed at has been to present the 

 main features of bird-life in a general way. 

 Hence it is hoped this volume may prove of 

 interest to bird-lovers the world over, not be- 

 cause it contains information about the birds 

 of any particular neighbourhood or country; 

 but rather, because it serves as a guide to what 

 should be looked for, and recorded, of the life- 

 history of birds wherever they may be met with. 

 Even dwellers in the sordid city have some 

 material upon which they may exercise their 

 powers of observation. 



Since there are no less than 13,000 known 

 species of birds, it would have been courting 

 failure, and wearisome in the extreme, to deal 

 with individuals in detail ! The present work 

 then is a skeleton picture, which each can fill 

 up as he may for himself. 



To those who wish to pursue this subject 

 further, by the aid of other and more costly 

 works, I wouy recommend the following as 

 especially helpful : — 



