PREFACE 



TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



I CANNOT allow the present volume to meet the 

 public eye, without offering a few remarks upon the 

 design and execution of this work. The etchings do 

 not pretend to any merit beyond that of fidelity of 

 delineation, upon a scale hitherto unattempted, and 

 to that spirit and character which will generally at- 

 tend drawings made, as much as possible, from living 

 specimens. With respect to the letter-press, I have 

 not professed to give a C07nplete history of British 

 Birds, and have not, therefore, drawn together into 

 one focus all that has been better said by other writers 

 upon the subject ; but have contented myself with re- 

 ferring, by occasional notes, to any anecdotes particu- 

 larly interesting as to the species under consideration. 

 The present work bears the title only of Illustrations, 

 and, as such, 1 was chiefly anxious to clear the syste- 

 matic arrangement of such discrepancies as still exist- 



