INTRODUCTORY NOTE 



This little volume is the first of a series of Nature books 

 whose object is to set before the reader the salient 

 features of our commoner forms of British animal life. 

 Whilst classification has not been lost sight of, the aim 

 has been to treat in a popular way the life-histories 

 of the animals dealt with, and not to burden the would-be 

 enquirer with long words and unfamiliar technical 

 terms. The employment of these has in the past pre- 

 vented many young (and even older) people from taking 

 up with seriousufss the study of Natural Science, and in 

 an age which calls for some respite from the busy world 

 in which we live, it is essential that those who are thus 

 inclined should be encouraged to pursue the manifold 

 operations of Nature. 



Those among us who have lived long enough to 

 recognise the value of such fascinating studies realise how 

 important it is to offer encouragement to all those willing 

 to observe and record simple country happenings and 

 delights, and if these modest volumes help to stimulate 

 interest and prove of service in affording information, the 

 personal effort that is sure to follow will bring its own 

 reward. 



During the course of a lengthy article, The Times made 



