INTRODUCTORY. 



IN the beginning of my study of bird life, 

 when I had a bird-room for close observation, 

 I was interested to see that our little neighbors 

 in feathers possess as much individuality of 

 character as ourselves, and in Chapters XII. 

 and XIII. of this volume I offer two studies 

 of that period, illustrative of the point. 



Thanks are due to Mr. Frederic A. Ober 

 for the use of his notes on one of the soli- 

 taires, embodied in Chapter XII., and to the 

 Godey Company for permission to reproduce 

 two shrike pictures. 



I wish also to give credit to my daughter, 

 Mary Mann Miller, for the minute and con- 

 scientious collection of the facts recorded in 

 Chapters V. and VI., which for convenience 

 are related as if they were my own observations. 

 OLIVE THORNE MILLER. 



