222 Summer Studies of Birds and Books CHAP. 



trouble, and in the last sentence of his preface 

 White's pen seems for once to have stuck fast. It 

 shows us very plainly that he was here out of his 

 natural element ; but it may well have pleased the 

 " circle of gentlemen whose intelligent communica- 

 tions, as they have afforded him much pleasing 

 information, so, could he flatter himself with a 

 continuation of them, would they ever be deemed a 

 matter of singular satisfaction and improvement." 

 After all, this preface is brief enough, and itself 

 marks his steady adherence to the maxim of Linnseus 

 which he quotes elsewhere with approval, "Ver- 

 bositas hujus saeculi calamitas artis." 



The enduring popularity of the letters is however 

 due not only to their brevity, variety, and accuracy, 

 but in great part to the little felicities and quaint- 

 nesses of expression in which they abound. Every 

 bird-lover remembers the " sibilous shivering noise " 

 of the Wood- wren, and the " full, sweet, deep, loud, 

 and wild pipe " of the Blackcap. Sometimes we get 

 an unusual word used with rare effect, as when the 

 tame raven, kenning the toad as he put forth his 

 head, gave him such a severe stroke with his beak as 

 put out one eye. Sometimes it is an ordinary word 

 that is used in a sense which to us at least is fresh 

 and telling. "The life and conversation" of the 

 birds occurs more than once, and more than once too 

 we hear of " delicate " weather. Occasionally we 



