MR. DIXOFS PREFACE 



TO THE FIRST EDITION.- 



(CONDENSED.) 



THE history of the present volume is very simple, 

 and, it may be, runs parallel with that of many other 

 works on higher subjects. The author, with his wife 

 (now removed from worldly trouble) and his child, were 

 living in a small suburban house, that had a little back- 

 garden attached to it. As a harmless amusement, they 

 procured a few Fowls to keep, although totally ignorant 

 of their ways and doings. In aid of this ignorance, 

 books were procured to little purpose. The difficulty 

 of obtaining instruction from others led to closer obser- 

 vation on our own part, and a more eager grasp at the 

 required knowledge. By degrees, a few water-fowl were 

 added to the collection ; but the only watering-places on 

 the spot were tubs and milk-pans. A neighbour, how- 

 ever, obligingly permitted the flock of strange Fowl to 

 be driven to a small pond a few score yards off. They 

 throve and duly increased ; but still, little help was to 

 be had from books. Encyclopaedias, though in them the 

 Natural History department is almost always well exe- 

 cuted, were little satisfactory. "Anser, see Goose," 

 " Goose, see Anser," is scarcely an exaggeration of what 

 often fell out. Several current Poultry-books were pur- 



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