54 British Birds, 



It is quite true that, within the interval of time just 

 adverted to, vast and most interesting additions have 

 been made to our knowledge about birds, and matters 

 connected with them ; their habits, their haunts, their 

 life-history, and especially the general run of facts 

 connected with their nests and eggs, their places of 

 nidification and all other circumstances of interest to 

 the egg-collector. 



But, recognising in the fullest manner that this is 

 so, it is, at the least, equally open to recognition that, 

 notwithstanding the acquisition of a certain very large 

 amount of positive information and knowledge on 

 these and such-like topics, there is still a vast array of 

 ornithological matters remaining under debate, which, 

 moreover, are discussed with the usual amount of 

 warmth and mutual " agreement " still " to differ." 



But interesting as all such discussions may be and 

 are to the scientific student and observer, it scarcely 

 follows that it would prove to be of interest to the 

 commencing bird-naturalist or the boy nest-hunter 

 and egg-collector. And what the editor of this ''New 

 and Revised " issue of his book has especially to think 

 of is that the readers he has to desire as well as to 

 write and provide for, must mainly belong to a class 

 who are not, as yet, at least, either scientific or deeply 

 read, whether as bird-observers or ornithological 

 students. The time may come when they will be both. 

 But in the meantime, it seems to be an object to be 

 aimed at by the editor of this new edition of a book, 

 merely elementary (the kindly reception of which by 

 many past generations of nest-hunters and egg- 

 collectors has greatly gratified the author), while 



