x THE BRITISH BIRD BOOK 



has determined the relative amount of space allotted to different species, more being 

 given to eggs of which the identification is likely to cause difficulty. Each drawing 

 is natural size and set upon a background specially designed to show it to the best 

 advantage. Arrangements are made by which, when the parts are finally bound 

 up, these plates can be placed together at the end of the book. This will obviate 

 the prolonged and irritating hunt for the egg required that often occurs when the 

 plates are left dispersed through the text. 



In the case of birds with white eggs, outline drawings to show the shape are 

 given. As the eggs of the ducks are very much alike, and are consequently difficult 

 to identify either by colour or shape, plates have been added showing the normal 

 differences of colour in the down which they use for the construction of their nests. 



Nest Photographs. If coloration is of prime importance in the case of the 

 bird and the egg, it is not so in the case of the nest. Here it is the form and the 

 surroundings that matter, and for these a photograph suffices. When the nest does 

 find a place in the coloured drawing, the photograph has been generally dispensed 

 with. 



Diagrams. As the book is intended for the general reader as well as the 

 ornithologist, non-technical terms are used wherever possible. Technical terms 

 that are used can readily be understood by reference to the diagrams and figures 

 and their accompanying glossary. 



Typography. In conclusion, it may be worth noting that, in order to fall into 

 line with general biological practice, the names of the species are spelt without 

 capitals, e.g. crow, corone ; the name of the genus, family, order, class, with capitals, 

 e.g. Crows, Corvus, Corvidae, Passeres, Aves. To avoid any possible ambiguity, 

 specific names composed of two words are connected by a hyphen and in certain 

 cases the words are run together, e.g. corn-bunting, yellow-bunting, blackheaded- 

 gull, but lesser blackbacked-gull. 



