VI PREFACE. 



zoere collected in Yorkshire, and communicated to that nolle repository by me. 



The natural history of a. Bird can no more be perfectly known, while we are in 

 any part ignorant of its nest, eggs, food, habitation, &c. than we can be said per- 

 fectly to understand the natural history of a moth or a butterfy, at the same time 

 that we are ignorant of the caterpillar and the aurelia, from which this moth, or 

 that butterfy luas produced. 



Birds, considered in respect to the elegance of their shape, and diversity and 

 brilliancy of their colours, are doubtless superior to any other class in the brute 

 creation. Where can we fnd a 7nore beautiful piece of mechanism than in the 

 wing of a Bird displayed, or even in a single feather, when, minutely examined ? 

 There is an easy and elegant sweep in the outline which circumscribes a Bird, per- 

 haps not to be found m that of any other animal, and the beautiful arrangement of 

 the feathersin every part daims our admiration, 'T is pity to observe, that in 

 most figures of Birds, the feathers are either wholly disregarded, or else most vilely 

 mangled, most- \vicked\y deranged. 



In describing the nests, .though I have mentioned the materials which composed 

 the individual under notice, it must not however be understood, that the same 

 species of Bird always strictly confines itself to the same materials, though in 

 general we find, it so ; for I have seen many instances to the contrary, one of 

 which I will give as I find it in my notes concerning Birds i, On the tenth of May, 

 A. D. 1762, / observed a pair of goldfinches beginning to make their nest in 

 my garden ; they had formed the groundwork with moss, grass, 6?c. as usual, but 

 on my scattering small parcels of wool in different parts of the garden, they in a 

 great measure left off the. use of their own stuff, and employed the wool ; after- 

 ward, I gave them cotton, on which they rejected the wool, and proceeded -with 

 cotton; the third day I supplied them, with fine down, on which they forsook both the 

 other, and finished their work with this last article. The nest, when completed, 

 ' was somewhat larger fhan is usually made by this bird, but retained the pretty 

 roundness of figure, and neatness of workmanship, which is proper to the gold- 

 finch. The nest was completed in the space of three days, and remained unoccupied 

 for the space of four days, the first egg not being laid till the seventh day from 

 beginning the work. 



The descriptions of the Birds; though plain and simple, are nevertheless true, 

 being made immediately from a close examination of the Birds themselves. If they 



be 



