PREFACE 



THIS book was written to supply a definite need. 

 Its preparation was undertaken at the urgent 

 request of booksellers and others who have felt the 

 lack of a satisfactory medium of introduction to 

 bird life for little children. As such, and in no 

 sense whatever as a competitor with the many 

 excellent books on this subject, but rather to sup- 

 plement these, this volume has been written. 



Its primary purpose is to interest the little child 

 in, and to make him acquainted with, those 

 feathered friends he is most likely to see. Because 

 there is no method of approach to the child mind 

 equal to the story, this method of conveying in- 

 formation has been adopted. So far as I am 

 aware the book is unique in this respect. In its 

 preparation an earnest effort has been made to 

 present as far as possible the important facts 

 regarding the appearance, habits and character- 

 istics of our feathered neighbors. It is intended to 

 be at once a story book and an authoritative hand- 

 book. While it is intended for little children, it 

 is hoped that children of larger growth may find 

 in it much of both interest and helpfulness. 



Mr. Louis Agassiz Fuertes, artist and naturalist, 

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