INTRODUCTION. 37 



it will have other bad qualities, — but prize a bird 

 that is docile, cheerful, and kind, for they are sure 

 it is to turn out an excellent bii'd. The disposi- 

 tions, both of birds and men, may be ameliorated 

 by education: But here the analogy ends — ^birds 

 cannot improve their dispositions, but men may. 



Much confusion has arisen in natm*al history, 

 from the ambiguous terms employed by naturalists 

 in describing the plumage of birds, the colom's of 

 which are often of importance in illustrating the 

 species. Naturalists feel this, and also the want 

 of a standard to refer to ; yet all agi'ee that per- 

 spicuity is of the utmost importance in describing 

 any object, and that the terms used in describing 

 the colom's of the plumage of birds, &c. ought to 

 be clearly and distinctly understood. 



Bewicke, in his Supplement to British Birds, 

 takes notice of this; and regTets that no uni- 

 form standard has as yet been adopted to remove 

 the ambiguous terms employed in describing co- 

 lours ; he particularly mentions the term cinere- 

 ous, and says : — " Sometimes it appears to desig- 

 nate a distinct coloiu*, with its various hues ; thus 

 we have cinereous, pale cinereous, dark cinereous, 

 &c. as it is synonimously, as from its etymology, 

 it ought to be, if used at all, with ash grey ; at 

 other times it is confounded with many of the va/« 



