HOW TO KNOW THE BIRDS 



27 



various methods of procuring it. All of 

 these birds are able to swim should 

 occasion require it ; the feet of some are 

 fitted with incipient webbing. This 

 feature, of course, is fully developed in 

 the true water or swimming birds, the 

 last of the six great orders, which in- 

 cludes the Ducks. Geese, Swans, Divers, 

 Auks. Pelicans, Gulls, and Petrels. 



Thus all British birds may be divided 

 into six great divisions : birds of prey, 

 perchers, climbers, walkers, waders, and 

 swimmers, each order being again split up 

 into families and sub-families or species. 



Before proceeding further, a word of 



warning is necessary as to the use of the 

 prefix " common " in the description and 

 identification of particular birds. At best 

 it is of little value, and sometimes very 

 misleading. For instance, when we speak 

 of the Common Kite, or of the Common 

 Buzzard, we are talking of a state of 

 British bird life which passed away some 

 two hundred years ago. The Common 

 Bunting is nowhere the most common re- 

 presentative of its family, nor is, perhaps, 

 the Common Gull ; whilst the Common 

 Skua is no longer, if it ever were, frequenth' 

 to be found in any county ; and even the 

 Common Crossbill is comparatively rare. 



IMaurice C. H. Bird. 



KED-BACKED SHRIKE ON NEST. 



