THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES, 



INTRODUCTORY. 



THERE can be no doubt whatever that the 

 steadily increasing popularity of Natural History, 

 the constantly spreading taste for seeing and 

 studying the wondrous works of Nature, is almost 

 exclusively due to the ease with which such plea- 

 sant pursuits may now be indulged in. Twenty 

 years ago we had few guides to conduct us 

 through the woods and fields, and explain their 

 wonders to us ; whilst inducements to take up 

 this or that branch of outdoor science were small. 

 Nowadays the student is furnished with accurate 

 and brightly written handbooks to almost every 

 branch of natural knowledge, which not only 

 enable him to note and investigate with intelli- 

 gence, but stimulate him to original work, and 

 render his rambles fruitful in personal observa- 

 tion. No longer are the insects, the flowers, and 

 the trees so many nameless objects ; each may 

 now, under some author-naturalist's guidance, be 

 identified, their habits told, their uses explained. 

 But, curiously enough, we have not a single in- 

 telligible guide to the most attractive creatures 



