iv. PREFACE. 



delightful employment than in attempting to elucidate, from 

 their own observations, the various branches of Natural 

 History, and in communicating them to others. Something 

 like a society in each county, for the purpose of collecting 

 a variety of these observations, as well as for general corres- 

 pondence, would be extremely useful. Much might be ex- 

 pected from a combination of this kind, extending through 

 every part of the kingdom; a general mode of communica- 

 tion might be thereby established, in order to ascertain the 

 changes which are continually taking place, particularly 

 among the feathered tribes ; the times of their appearing 

 and disappearing would be carefully noted; the differences 

 of age, sex, food, &c., would claim a particular degree of 

 attention, and would be the means of correcting the errors 

 which have crept into the works of some of the most eminent 

 ornithologists, from an over-anxious desire of increasing the 

 number of species: but it is reserved, perhaps, for times of 

 greater tranquility, when mankind become more enlightened, 

 and see clearly the vast importance of a knowledge of every 

 department of Natural History; or when the mind becomes 

 less engaged in the vicious, unprofitable, or frivolous pur- 

 suits of the world, and in lieu of such, leisure shall be 

 found fully to devote its attention to those objects which 

 enlarge its powers, give dignity to its exertions, and carry 

 into the fullest effect plans for investigations of this sort, 

 that mistakes will be rectified respecting birds, and their 

 beauties and uses appreciated, and that they will attract 

 their due share of attention. 



As a naturalist, no author has been more successful than 

 the celebrated Count de Buffon : despising the restraints 

 which methodical arrangements generally impose, he ranges 

 at large through the various walks of Nature, and describes 

 her with a brilliancy of colouring which only the most lively 

 imagination could suggest. It must, however, be allowed, 

 that in many instances this ingenious philosopher has over- 

 stepped the bounds of Nature, and, in giving the reins to 



