PREFACE. 



II 



that came under his notice was White's delight; and rest assured 

 that if we like White love animals (commonly called dumb 

 because we cannot understand their language), we shall never 

 experience the feeling of solitude. 



It has been more or less the custom to look upon White 

 as purely an ornithologist ; but the attentive reader will find 

 that he touches upon almost every branch of Natural History. 

 The plan of this publication allowed me only one hundred 

 and fifty pages for my notes and observations. I therefore 

 determined uot to write a running commentary, but to give 

 anecdotes and observations which have principally come under 

 my own notice, and which bear more or less on the subjects 

 mentioned by White. Students of ornithology have now at 

 their command so many museums, as well as excellent 

 books on birds, that those who are fond of birds have every 

 facility for learning all that is known about them up to the 

 present time. 



All I beg on behalf of the wild birds is not to shoot them ; 

 leave the gun at home, and take the opera-glasses and watch 

 their habits. 



Foremost among the works on ornithology is the magnificent 

 work on " THE BIEDS OF GKEAT BRITAIN," by John Gould, F.E.S. 

 The book that I would recommend as the best and least expen- 

 sive handbook for bird-fanciers and those who intend to begin 

 the study of English wild and cage birds, is Bechstein's " Cage 

 and Chamber Birds." 1 



In my Notes will be found information about birds, not copied 



1 Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden. Professor Newton is 

 now bringing out a new edition of Yarrell'a " British Birds," Van Voorst, 

 Paternoster Row. The Rev. F. 0. Morris has published works on British 

 Birds, Nests and Eggs of Birds, &c. Bickers and Bush, Leicester Square. 

 Nor must I neglect to recommend the Rev. J. G. Wood's admirable work, 

 " Illustrated Natural History," Routledge. 



VOL. I. I 



