PREFACE. 



their lawful husbands, as soon as the bans 

 shall have been duly published in the parish 

 church. Thus they tell you, that rooks destroy 

 young turnips ; that carrion crows are always 

 stealing eggs; and that hedgehogs suck the 

 cows. The landlady " of a little inn in the 

 village" knew that poor Lefevre would not get 

 better, for she had " heard the death-watch all 

 night long." In fine, every body knows that 

 there is to be an immediate wedding in the 

 neighbourhood when he sees three magpies aJ J 

 together. 



One of my objects in writing for Mr. Lou- 

 don's Magazine has been to try to do away 

 the many accusations which ignorance and pre- 

 judice have brought forward to injure the cha- 

 racter of our feathered'tribes ; and I would fain 

 hope to obtain mercy for my favourites at the 

 hands of those who have hitherto ordered them 

 to be destroyed. The task has by no means 

 been difficult, for I possess the very best oppor- 

 tunities of observing the birds whose habits I 

 have described. 



I have only now to add, that Mr. Loudon, at 



