2 INTRODUCTION. 



tions and beautiful forms; the mineralogist, with 

 his no less astonishing and interesting details 

 all have their respective claims on our notice. 

 But who comes on the field with more attractive 

 trophies than the ornithologist? Who is there, 

 that has not watched the swift-flying birds with 

 delight, and listened with charmed ear to their 

 thousand, thousand songs? The unpaid choris- 

 ters of the groves are they the musicians of all 

 times and places. Roaming in the woods or 

 fields, playing in the garden, climbing the moun- 

 tain, or lingering by the side of the river or the 

 sea-shore at home, or abroad, have you not 

 aften marked with delight, the rapid flight of 

 the various birds passing swiftly through the 

 air? Have you ever considered how it is that 

 they can fly, while you can only walk and run? 

 Perhaps you will say, because they have wings, 

 and we have not. But this is not the only rea- 

 son. Though you have no wings, you have 

 arms and hands to supply their place, but with 

 these you cannot fly. It would be of no use to 

 you to possess the power, and therefore the 

 great Author of nature has not given it you. 

 Your business is on the earth; but the necessi- 

 ties of birds require that they should be able to 

 move freely through the air. To enable them 

 to do this, they are very differently formed from 



