PREFACE 



Rather many (but not excessively many) years ago, ere 

 the facts and fancies embodied in this book had fairly 

 begun to take form, I read in a preface to a work on 

 natural history the statement that much of the matter 

 contained in the chapters had been written in the open 

 air. That appealed as a pleasant boast and a worthy 

 example. How fine it would be, I thought, to produce a 

 book, be it ever so humble, that had been written "under 

 the splendid sky"! 



But the years between brought a change of attitude. They 

 also brought a change of circumstances. There is no hesi- 

 tation in confessing, now, that practically the whole of this 

 book has been written, subject to the demands of daily 

 journalism, in the scarcely-hallowed atmosphere of a city 

 boarding-house ! 



The reader may be inclined to think that the change of 

 attitude should be cited as a corollary, and not as a prelude, 

 to the change from bush to city life. Really, though, the 

 altered situation had little to do with the case. The 

 flowers that bloom in the Spring were much more respon- 

 sible. The birds that nest in the Spring were the de- 

 ciding factor. 



Is there any genuine bird-lover who could sit and write, 

 more or less stolidly, while here, there, and everywhere the 

 play of Nature was in active progress? To attempt to do 

 so were rather like discussing Puck while Ariel held the 

 stage. At all events, practically the only writing I have 

 done in the bush (that is, while among the wild birds and 

 flowers), has been to jot down odd notes fleeting im- 

 pressions and details that might be lost in a maze of in- 

 cident and minor adventure before there was time to "post 

 up" the regular note-book. 



Yet I would not have it thought that the pages of this 

 book reflect electric light rather than the sun. For the 

 most part, at least, the knowledge here presented was never 



