vi EDITOR'S PREFACE. 
of science. Strange as it may seem in one that loved 
Nature so well, the author read but four authorities on 
the birds, — Audubon, Wilson, the first part of Stearns’s 
“New England Bird Life,” edited by Dr. Coues, and 
Minot’s “ Land and Game Birds of New England ;” and 
none of these were taken up until more than half the work 
here presented was done. The position is individual, iso- 
lated ; hence it has been thought advisable to prepare an 
appendix of expression from those more or wholly at 
home in the delightful field through which our author 
strolled, when the mood was on, innocently absorbed, 
oblivious to the brilliant company before him and on 
either side. 
Pliny tells how, by mixing the blood of certain birds, a . 
serpent was produced, which eaten of, enabled one to un- 
derstand what the birds said; and it is possible that this 
old simple-hearted, rustic singing-master nibbled deeply 
enough into the inspiring serpent to interest not only 
the lover of natural things but those with whom it was 
not his lot to mingle, — his learned contemporaries. At 
any rate, he has spoken in his own native way, and his 
brief message may be audible, if for no other reason, be- 
cause of the “over-faint quietness” both here and abroad. 
While wanting certain accessory qualifications for his 
pleasure-task, our author had this prime requisite, — 
music was as natural to him, had as much meaning for 
him, as words. Sound was as much to him as sight. 
It was his habit to name the pitch, and to dwell on 
the quality, of any sound he might hear from things 
animate or inanimate. His test of a poem was the 
