280 



ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 



If, by their means, you should be enabled to procure 

 specimens from foreign parts in better preservation 

 than usual, so that the naturalist may have it in his 

 power to give a more perfect description of them than 

 has hitherto been the case, — should they cause any 

 unknown species to be brought into public view, and 

 thus add a little more to the page of natural history, — 

 it will please me much. But should they, unfortunately 

 tend to cause a wanton expense of life — should they 

 tempt you to shoot the pretty songster warbling near 

 your door, or destroy the mother as she is sitting on 

 the nest to warm her little ones, or kill the father as 

 he is bringing a mouthful of food for their support — 

 oh, then ! deep indeed will be the regret that I ever 

 wrote them. 



Adieu, 



Charles Waterton. 



finis 



R. C LAY, SON, AN.) TAYLOR, PRINTERS, BREAD STREET HILL. 



