X 
PREFACE. 
from any books, but from the experieuces of Mi\ Davy, for 
thirty years a practical bird-catcher and dealer. 
For the last ten years — from its commencement— I have been 
editor of the Practical Natural History and Fishery columns 
of Land and Water, and have freely quoted from it in this 
book. I am always anxious to diffuse, by means of this publi- 
cation, information on the most important national question of 
the increase of the food of the people by scientific cultivation 
of the waters, as well as on those subjects of general natural 
history which White knew and loved so well. 
In Zand and Wafer, vols. i. and ii., 1866, Mr. Groom Napier 
publislied a valuable series of articles bii the " Birds Breeding 
in Great Britain." By his permission I have quoted this 
gentleman's descriptions of the Nests and Eggs of many birds 
mentioned by White. I am also under obligations to Colonel 
Hardy, E.A. ; Mr. Menzies, of Windsor Park ; Mr. A. D. Bartlett, 
of tlie Zoological CJardens, for assistance ; and to my friend, 
Professor Delaniotte, for the pains he has taken in the illus- 
trations for this volume. I propose— with the permission of 
tlie authorities of the Science and Art Department, South 
Kensington — to put together in my "Museum of Economic 
Fish Culture," the specimens figured in my part of this volume, 
and to exhibit in a large Aviary as many as possible of the birds 
mentioned by AVhite. 
In the spring of the year, the London season begins, and large 
numbers of our fellow-creatures migrate to London. In the 
fall of the year, these same individuals migrate again from 
London ; this is exactly what happens with the birds, and it 
would, I am sure, give much pleasure to many of the public if 
the local, daily, and weekly press throughout the country would 
take the hint I now give them and record, not only the arrivals 
and the departures of Lords and Ladies, M.P.'s, and the great 
