INTROD UCTOR Y. 7 



migratory or resident (in the sense of crossing the 

 seas), and if the former the period of their stay with 

 us ; together with the prevailing colours of their 

 plumage. 



With an only too vivid remembrance of the 

 difficulties I met with in my early days among 

 the birds, I have sought to make the present 

 work as practical and full of assistance as possible. 

 I can recall to mind, even after the lapse of five- 

 and- twenty years, the obstacles that beset me, 

 and the many difficulties I had to overcome 

 before I became even tolerably expert in field 

 ornithology. My library was almost limited to 

 Waterton's charming " Essays," and his still more 

 charming "Wanderings" books that never failed 

 to fascinate me more and more each time I opened 

 them. With White's " Selborne," Jardine's 

 " Naturalist's Library," and Yarrell's more am- 

 bitious volumes, I was also familiar ; yet in none 

 of these books could I find just the exact help I 

 wanted consequently my knowledge had to be 

 slowly acquired by personal experience ; and very 

 proud I used to feel as bird after bird became 

 known to me, and I was able to name the different 

 species with whose habits I was already well 

 acquainted. 



A word as to the geographical distribution of 

 the " birds of our rambles." It need scarcely be 

 remarked that upon the locality in which they 

 are taken depends a great deal the species that 

 will be met with. For instance, no matter how 

 closely we may search the western and northern 

 woods, we shall never meet with the Nightingale 

 in them ; or however much we seek on southern 

 coasts for the Eider Duck during the breeding 



