viii 



PREFACE. 



lawful husbands, as soon as the bans shall have 

 been duly published in the parish church. Thus 

 they tell you, that rooks destroy young turnips ; 

 that carrion crows are always stealing eggs; and 

 that hedgehogs suck the cows. The landlady 

 " of a little inn in the village" knew that poor 

 Lefevre would not get better, for she had 

 " heard the death-watch all night long." In 

 fine, every body knows that there is to be an 

 immediate wedding in the neighbourhood, when 

 he sees three magpies all together. 



One of my objects in writing for Mr. Lou- 

 don's Magazine has been to try to do away the 

 many accusations which ignorance and prejudice 

 have brought forward to injure the character 

 of our feathered tribes ; and I would fain hope 

 to obtain mercy for my favourites at the hands 

 of those who have hitherto ordered them to be 

 destroyed. The task has by no means been 

 difficult, for I possess the very best opportuni- 

 ties of observing the birds whose habits I have 

 described. 



I have only now to add, that Mr. Loudon, at 

 his own expense, has ventured to collect and 



