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non. In large and extensive tracts of wood where 

 there are miles of unbroken forest, birds are always 

 rare, excepting indeed some of the far wandering 

 hawks, whose strong wings enable them to pass over 

 miles of country with little exertion. Even birds 

 of prey are more inclined to take up their abode 

 near the outskirts of a wood than in its densest 

 solitudes. 



In winter large flocks of the long-tailed titmouse, 

 the golden-crested wren, and other birds of similar 

 insect-searching habits, flit from tree to tree, passing 

 in an unbroken multitude for hours together, hang- 

 ing in every possible attitude from the branches 

 while searching for their minute prey, and enliven- 

 ing the solitude with their bright wings, and with 

 their merry chirp, so expressive of pleasure, as 

 they flutter from tree to tree. I believe that all 

 wild birds live in a state of constant enjoyment when 

 unmolested by animals of prey, biped or quadruped, 

 and even then their terror or pain is but of short 

 duration, having no anticipation of the coming evil, 

 or much remembrance of it if fortunately they 

 escape. The snows of winter sometimes indeed 

 shut up their sources of food, but it is rare, at least 

 in this country, that plenty of open ground is not 

 left for the wants of all the wild animals. 



The falcon at earliest daybreak, after enjoying 



VOL. II. H 



