PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 



THE fact that a second edition of this volume is so 

 soon required is the source of much personal gratifi- 

 cation to the author. 



The purpose of the work is twofold : to give a 

 necessarily brief but correct idea of the variety and 

 character of bird-life almost everywhere about us, and 

 to rouse such an interest in our birds in the minds 

 of readers that they will be ready to act as their 

 defenders rather than persecutors. Until the im- 

 pression is firmly grounded in the minds of young 

 people that birds are more interesting alive than 

 dead, and the fact is recognized by all that bird-life, 

 as a whole, is pre-eminently useful, there will continue 

 that criminal destruction of our feathered friends 

 which has already proved disastrous to many sections 

 of the country. That an era of saner views may soon 

 be ushered in is the desire of the author. 



Grateful acknowledgment is here made of many 

 courtesies shown by the Curators of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia to the author, 

 while preparing the text and illustrations of the 

 work. 



C. C. A. 



TRENTON, N. J., January, 1895. 



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