PREFACE. 



and would covet no other abode than its prison- 

 house of wire. 



There are several other birds resident amongst 

 us, whose music-notes, though they can scarcely be 

 called song, yet form a pleasing variety in the gene- 

 ral chorus of the groves. Such are the Greenfinch 

 (Loxia chloris), the Yellowhammer ( Emberiza cltri- 

 nella ), the Cornbunting ( Emberiza miliaria ), and 

 some others. The Titmice and the Stares, the 

 Woodpeckers, Rooks, and Jays, contribute their 

 portion of delight, and animate the sylvan scene 

 by their peculiar calls. 



Most birds, however, give utterance to some 

 notes or other, expressive of joyous feelings or 

 social invitation, that seldom fail to delight the 

 ear when the eye is contemplating the beauties of 

 sylvan scenery. 



It now only remains to add, that as the choicest 

 resident song-birds of this country have been here 

 selected for delineation, so have some of the most 

 pleasing and authentic passages been culled from 

 the writings of various authors in illustration of 

 their history and habits. 



