POPULAR 
HISTORY OF BIRDS. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Birds are among the most attractive of creatures ; few of 
them are absolutely repulsive. There is something peculiarly 
clean and pleasing about their feathers ; and the generally 
oval shape of their body has for the most part an elegant 
outline^ comprehended at a glance. They are in most cases 
equally at home in the air and on the ground^ and many of 
them too can swim and dive^ as well as fly and walk. 
Birds are produced^ in every case^ from eggs with a hard 
calcareous covering; these eggs^ pleasing in form and colour^ 
are most generally laid in a nest, brought together and fa- 
ricated by the parent birds, often with great ingenuity. 
With few exceptions the eggs are sedulously hatched by the 
B 
