INTEODUCTIOlSr. 



OOME six years ago, when I began to prepare this 

 **** little collection of the songs of the more common 

 birds of New England, I anticipated many difficulties; 

 and they have been realized. The singing season is brief, 

 and no one locality will suffice. Again, when one is so 

 fortunate as to find a bird long sought, he may not sing ; 

 and if he does, the next moment he may fly beyond 

 hearing or finding. Besides, it requires several repeti- 

 tions of a song to insure accuracy in the copy ; and the 

 song of to-day may be so varied to-morrow as to be 

 hardly recognizable. Another difficulty, well worthy of 

 mention, is the newness of the field. At the time I took 

 down my first song I had no knowledge of any person 

 in America who had made the attempt ; and thus far I 

 have found no hint that has been of service to me. 



Fifty years' experience as a singing-master has taught 



me that there is nothing people think so much of, pay so 



much money for, and still know so little about, as music. 



*Most emphatically may this, save the money clause, be 



affirmed of the music of Nature. However thoroughly 



i 



