8 BRITISH BIRDS. 



of mankind," it has been thought advisable to omit them, 

 either on account of the inherent difficulties of the task, 

 or because of the insignificance of the best result that 

 could be obtained after efforts of no small account, or 

 simply because the creatures themselves, though once 

 numerous in, have now practically ceased to be inhabit- 

 ants of, our islands. 



In the first category may be placed the birds known as 

 Golden-crested Wrens, Long-tailed Tits, Dartford Warblers 

 and possibly a few more; while in the second we have 

 Swallows and Martins and their relations the Swifts, 

 which, no doubt, might be preserved, at least for a time, 

 but at what a cost of time and attention ! And in the 

 third there are the Bustards, the Bitterns, and others, 

 which are, as far as Britain is concerned, to all intents 

 and purposes as extinct as the Dodo. 



Then there are a variety of birds claimed to be British 

 by Morris and some other writers on the strength of a 

 few specimens, or even a solitary one, seen or shot in 

 the country, but which in all probability had escaped from 

 confinement, as the Passenger Pigeon of North America, 

 for instance, the Belted Kingfisher, or the Spine-tailed 

 Swallow, or the Guira or Yellow-billed Cuckoo, the Greater 

 Nightingale and some more, while the Roller, the Bee- 

 eater and the Hoopoe have scarcely any more reason to 

 be counted British. 



Some Hawks and Eagles also are very doubtful inhabit- 

 ants, while the climax of absurdity is reached when the 

 Griffon and Egyptian Vultures are actually included in 

 a work that purports to be a history of native birds. 

 A similar objection may be made to the list of Owls 

 included in the same work, most of which occurred 

 singly and as the result of accident, and by no extension 

 of reasoning can justly be claimed as British. 



If the domestication of the many charming and indis- 

 putably native birds which are passed in review in the 

 following pages is made easier for the amateur, the object, 

 or at least one of the chief objects, held in view by the 

 writer, will have been attained. 



