VII 

 LIFE'S WORK ENDED 



CONCLUSION. 



I HAVE finished one of the many difficult and laborious 

 tasks which I had imposed upon myself. Twelve 

 years have elapsed since the first three volumes of 

 this work were issued to the public, and I had 

 scarcely hoped to see its completion, when I was 

 most unexpectedly encouraged to revise the manu- 

 script of the two remaining volumes, containing the 

 wading and swimming birds, of which the history, 

 in so far as I am acquainted with it, is now given on 

 the same plan as that adopted for the land birds. 

 Commenced in hope, and carried on with zeal, though 

 ended in sorrow and sickness, I can look upon my 

 work without much regard to the opinions which 

 contemporary writers may form of it, assured that 

 what is useful in it will not be forgotten, and knowing 

 that already it has had a beneficial effect on many of 

 the present, and will more powerfully influence the 

 next, generation of our home-ornithologists. I had 



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