ADVERTISEMENT 

 TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



The species of work to which this volume 

 belongs, while it is not confined to the student 

 of Natural History, but is addressed to all 

 classes of readers, appears to me to be eminent- 

 ly useful in promoting that general acquaintance 

 with Nature, which is so highly to be desired, 

 and for which a taste has of late been strongly 

 and growingly evinced. Many works there are, 

 which lead us incidentally into the country, or 

 which, treating on the aspects and progress of 

 the Seasons, mix up with them a variety of 

 other matters, feasts, fasts, saints, and sundries ; 

 but a work has long been wanted to realize the 

 beau ideal of a book of the Seasons, presenting 

 us with all their poetic and picturesque fea- 

 tures; which, as a Calendar of Nature, should 

 be comprehensive and complete in itself; which, 

 on being taken up by the lover of Nature at 

 the opening of each month, should lay before 



