viii BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS 



not a mere collector of bric-a-brac to see the living 

 representative of a species soaring majestically 

 over a mountain top than to gaze at its empty 

 egg shells in a cabinet. 



Our very sincere thanks are tendered to the 

 many good friends who have placed us under a 

 deep debt of gratitude by the facilities they have 

 most ungrudgingly given us, on all occasions, to 

 secure the photographs scattered up and down 

 the pages of this book. It is unnecessary to say 

 how grateful we shall feel to anyone who may be 

 fortunate enough to find a rare nest, not already 

 figured in this work, for an opportunity to photo- 

 graph it. We also have to acknowledge our great 

 indebtedness to Messrs. Watkins and Doncaster, 

 Naturalists in the Strand, London, for kindly 

 lending our publishers the specimens from which 

 the plates of eggs were photographed and printed 

 by the three-colour process. 



It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to point out, 

 even to the inexperienced ornithologist, that the 

 circumstances governing the distances at which 

 our photographs have been taken rendered it im- 

 possible to adjust the relative sizes of the birds and 

 eggs of different species. However, the life size of 

 the eggs in the coloured plates and the average 

 measurements of them and the birds given in the 

 text, will easily prevent any kind of confusion. 



The descriptions of the plumage and general 

 appearance of males and females of each species 

 dealt with are, of course, of adult birds in the 



breeding season. 



R. KEARTON. 



CATERHAM VALLEY, SURREY, 

 January, 1908. 



