The pursuit of the flying bird will inevitably stimulate 

 a desire to know more about the bewildering changes of 

 plumage presented at different seasoijis of the year, as well 

 as by the striking differences which often distinguish the two 

 sexes, and the immature birds. The endeavour to satisfy 

 this desire will open up a new world. Those who would pass 

 to this knowledge should possess themselves of the Practical 

 Handbook of British Birds. Though most severely practical, 

 and designed for the serious student alone, even the beginner 

 will find interest in the description of these several plumages, 

 and much else beside that it is essential to know. 



Now that the study of flight is so much to the fore, some 

 may turn to these pages in the hope of gaining useful informa- 

 tion on the theme of mechanical flight. Some help they 

 may find. But it was not for this that they were written. 

 The flight of an aeroplane and the flight of a bird have little 

 in common — at present ; though something may be learned 

 by the study of gliding flight and soaring, which of course 

 have their place in this book. But anatomical details and 

 mechanical formulae, necessary to the serious student of 

 flight, would have been entirely out of place here, and they 

 have been omitted. 



My task has been by no means easy. But it has been 

 enormously helped by the extremely skilful and beautiful 

 work of the artist, Mr. Roland Green. Where birds are 

 concerned, few artists in the past, and very few in the present, 

 have shown any ability to combine accuracy in drawing 

 with ingenuity of composition and faithfulness in colouring. 

 Mr. Green has shown this rare combination ; his coloui-ed 

 plates and line-drawings speak for themselves. 



W. P. PYCRAFT. 



London, 



September 1922. 



