VIII. PREFACE. 



a place in our poetry, if not in our prose. But this is. an 

 innovation which, to any great extent, the author would 

 not presume to introduce. See the Observations on the 

 Quinary Arrangement of Mr. Vigors, Introduction, page 43. 

 A few only of the terms proposed by this gentlemen has 

 been adopted, and appear in the poetry in an anglicized 

 dress j such are Raptor, Rasor, Scansor, Vulturid, &c. In 

 short, although the author's own taste and inclinations lean 

 to the use of scientific terms, (and he fears that some of his 

 readers will think he has introduced too many,) there can 

 be, he apprehends, no doubt that the general reader will 

 prefer the common and more usual names. It is true he 

 runs the risk of incurring the censure of those who are 

 more partial to names than to things ; and he may possibly 

 offend the pride of the professor, but, on the most mature 

 deliberation, he feels persuaded that the course which he 

 has pursued for an elementary work is the most useful 

 and most instructive: enough of science pervades, he 

 hopes and believes, the Introduction and the Notes. 



These observations are made in order that the author's 

 object in regard to the poetical portion of his work might 

 not be misunderstood. If he have succeeded in rendering 

 a knowledge of ornithology more pleasing and facile by 

 the aid of Poetry, that object is accomplished. 



To the originality of assembling the birds under the 

 auspices of the Eagle and the Vulture the author lays 

 no claim; he adopted it, believing that it offered an easy 

 means of displaying the knowledge which he was desirous 

 to convey. Candour, moreover, compels him to declare 

 that the perusal of a little poem in MS., written by a lady, 

 and entitled the Lanthorn Fly's Lecture, descriptive of many 

 of our insects, suggested, more immediately, the present per- 

 formance. 



