PREFACE. XXI 



text; and it should also be observed that Mr. Her- 

 bert has kindly communicated some additional 

 sketches illustrative of the characters of the diffe- 

 rent species of willow-wren, to the distinctions of 

 which he has paid so much attention. 



Of the notes contained in the previous editions 

 a few have been omitted as irrelevant jor unneces- 

 sary. Those of Markwick and others on the 

 " Observations/' which had been formerly printed 

 as part of the text, have been reduced to their 

 proper station at the foot of the pages to which 

 they refer. Many others have been added illus- 

 trative of the wide range of subjects treated of by 

 the author ; in most cases confirming, in some few 

 correcting, the statements of the text, and accom- 

 modating it to the constantly progressive state of 

 natural science, of which they occasionally take a 

 more extended view. Of these a large proportion 

 are from the pen of my brother, but not a few have 

 been contributed by the kindness of his friends : to 

 all of them the initials of the writers are attached. 

 The Hon. and Rev. W. Herbert has again drawn 

 largely on his stores of information connected with 

 ornithology and other branches of natural history; 

 arid Messrs. Bell, Owen, YarrelL, and G. Daniell, 

 (the friend to whom I have before alluded as ac- 

 companying me in my short visit to Selborne,) 

 have by their numerous notes contributed to en- 

 hance the zoological interest of this edition. To 

 each and all of these kind and estimable friends I 

 can but offer in my brother's name the now melan- 

 choly tribute of his thanks. 



Those thanks are also in an especial manner 



