BIRDS FROM NATURE. 



pictures of birds in this book are all drawn from nature, 

 most of them from life, and, when that was not feasible, 

 from fresh killed specimens placed in the attitudes and with the 

 surroundings such as I had seen when they were alive. I have 

 always been interested in birds. The first book I ever possessed 

 was a copy of Bewick's British Birds, given to me when I was 

 four years old, and I should be very glad to think that this 

 work of mine might give to others, even in a small degree, the 

 pleasure that book gave me that it might lead them to consider 

 the fowls of the air as capable of affording delight in other ways 

 besides filling a game bag, or adorning a hat. 



I do not attempt to give a complete collection of British 

 birds, or even of those of Moidart, still less to describe them 

 scientifically (all which has already been admirably done by 

 Yarrell), but only to represent such birds as I have known 

 personally, and to add simply, and I trust truthfully, a few 

 observations which I have had the opportunity of making on 

 their life and habits. 



