vi t PREFACE 



almost entirely concerned with the small occurrences of 

 every day ; but all our knowledge of the ways of 

 living creatures has grown from careful records such as 

 these, and the subject is one of unfailing interest ; if it 

 begins with Gilbert White, it ends where ? 



The same thought applies to the Aviary Notes ; 

 how sure a welcome awaits these the record at first 

 hand of a master ' aviarist ' is sufficiently brought 

 home to us by the reflection that a periodical has been 

 successfully run for years in this country, devoted to 

 nothing else than an interchange of experiences among 

 those who keep living birds. 



All the letters, unless it is otherwise stated, were 

 written from Lilford Hall. They are not always given 

 under order of dates ; it has often seemed better to 

 group them about the leading subjects with which they 

 are concerned. 



An opinion entitled to great respect was expressed to 

 the Editor, that otter hunting and falconry, Lord Lilford's 

 favourite sports, might need some introduction to the 

 general reader ; that otter hunting is not, like fox-hunting, 

 * everybody's ' sport ; and that, indeed, the idea not 

 uncommonly obtains that the otter is still barbarously 

 despatched with the spear. Falconry, it was pointed out, 

 was a still more restricted pursuit. The Editor has 

 therefore ventured himself to write a short account of 

 otter hunting, and has been fortunate in obtaining a 



