BIRDS: 



THE ELEMENTS 



or 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



CHAPTEE I. 

 Inteodtjction. 



r\ENITHOLOGr is a most popular branch of Natural 

 ^-^ History. That it should be so is a necessary result of the 

 exceptional beauty of Birds, which by their vivacious move- 

 ments force themselves on our notice and lend animation to 

 every landscape. No other creatures, save certain insects, can 

 rival them in brilliancy of colour, and none can charm our ears 

 with such melody or startle them by the utterance of articulate 

 speech. Their intelligence is considerable : some can be taught 

 to perform curious tricks, and others are easily domesticated. 

 Their emotional nature is also attractive ; the conjugal affec- 

 tion of not a few birds is remarkable, while the devotion they 

 show to their offspring and the marvellous skiU with which 

 many of them prepare a shelter for their brood are known to 

 everyone. 



Birds together' constitute a group which is ranked as a 

 " Class," and which may be compared and contrasted with the 

 Class of Beasts (or Mammals), the Class of Eeptiles, and the 

 Class of Fishes, all which Classes agree together in being dis- 

 tinguished as back-boned, or Vertebrate, animals. 



