8 THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



season, we shall seek in vain. We may ramble 

 through woods in one part of the country and 

 never find birds that are common enough in these 

 situations in another part. Our rambles, then, 

 must be undertaken with a certain amount of dis- 

 crimination. It is not fair, however, to suppose 

 that the student is posted up in the distribution 

 of British birds generally, and therefore I have 

 appended, in a marginal note, a rough idea of the 

 bird's geographical habitat in our islands, so that 

 the reader, as each species is dealt with, may see 

 at a glance whether his own district is likely to be 

 favoured with the presence of that bird or not. 

 I ought just to add that the expression " widely 

 distributed " means that the species may be met 

 with almost universally throughout the British 

 Islands in all suitable districts. The expression 

 "English type" means birds that are fairly 

 dispersed over England and Wales in suitable 

 localities, but are absent from Scotland or Ireland, 

 or only known there as very rare or accidentally. 

 Where the word " principally " is used, it implies 

 that the bird is found in Scotland, but much more 

 locally than in England. When " eastern " is added, 

 it means that the bird is absent from, or rare in 

 Wales, and becomes much rarer in the extreme 

 S.W. or W. of England. 



As regards the mere pleasures of these rambles, 

 it would be difficult indeed to overestimate them. 

 If Birds be the object of our quest, our rambles 

 never need be lonely and profitless. By sea and 

 shore, this feathered company is ever engaging. 

 The little Wren, carolling his song among the 

 bushes, is just as charming to me as the Eagle on 

 the mountains ; I can find as much pleasure with 



