vi PREFACE. 
to perfection in our Fauna, two of which come very 
prominently before us : first of all, the scarcity of the 
population over wide areas of these northern counties ; 
and this leads to the second, viz., want of observers. Most 
keepers and shepherds can give one a very good account 
of the larger birds of their own district, but take but little 
notice of the smaller ones, as they are, except in the culti- 
vated districts, very scarce. The further south we go the 
larger birds get scarce, and the smaller ones increase in 
numbers. 
The population increases also as we go south, and in 
nearly every town there is some person who is a naturalist, 
and who practises preserving birds. Now the small birds 
naturally claim precedence there, as they are in the majority, 
and so are far more closely observed than they are in such 
districts as ours. 
Our aim has been rather to issue a Handbook of the 
Vertebrate Fauna of the district, upon which much lengthier 
observation even than our twenty years' experience may 
build up at some future time a fuller and more popularly 
satisfying Fauna. 
To the Proprietors of The Illustrated London News we 
are indebted for permission to reproduce the engraving of 
Handa ; to Mr. A. Young for his kindness in allowing us 
