Introductory 
lives ; for where a bird’s nest is, there is its home in the strictest 
sense of the word. It is true that most birds are wanderers ; 
they go south shortly after the young are fully grown, to return 
when the frost leaves the ground and the necessary supply of food 
can be obtained. But during the migration the bird is seldom 
resident for more than a few weeks in any one place ; he is rest- 
less and only awaits the time when he may get back to his 
nesting place of the previous year. Here, where he sings his 
love-songs and sets up housekeeping, is surely his real home and 
habitation. 
In reading over the works of well-known ornithologists it is 
surprising to see how very little has been written about birds 
during the breeding season. The time occupied in nest-building; 
the period of incubation ; the appearance and habits of the young 
at different ages ; how long they remain in the nest, and so on— 
these and the many other facts which give each species and each 
bird family definite individuality, though they are of the utmost 
interest, have been to a great extent ignored. It is difficult to 
realise why this is. Of course it requires great patience and 
plenty of time to get accurate data of this sort ; but there are 
thousands of enthusiastic nature students, and particularly bird 
students, nowadays, and the difficulties only make it all the more 
important that every one who is really interested should endeavour 
to add all possible information that may be of value. And right 
here let me say that all original and authentic notes—and only 
these—are valuable. 
Eggs of different birds of the same species, and indeed of the 
same bird, vary greatly both in colour, markings, and size, yet it is 
not at all necessary that every one should collect a large series to 
show such variations. Such collections may be found inmuseums 
when needed for comparison. Therefore I should say : Leave the 
egg where it belongs—in the nest—and visit it frequently (using 
all due caution against disturbing the owner even in this), making 
notes of anything of interest you may happen to see. You will 
be surprised at the number of things you will find that will prove 
of real interest, and you will surely be glad after your first experi- 
ment of this sort that you did not destroy the eggs, and with 
them your opportunity of gaining such an insight into the do- 
mestic life of Mrs. Robin Redbreast or Jenny Wren. 
Last summer, while walking through the woods, | found a 
5 
