INTRODUCTION TO THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. CHAPTER I. WINTER VISITERS. MANY persons, either from want of the habit of observation, or from not having their attention early directed to the familiar objects around them, lose a variety of innocent pleasures which they might otherwise enjoy.* The truth of this commonplace remark is exemplified in the ignorance frequently exhibited by persons residing in the country of the birds who live, and move, and have their being round them. The feathered travellers come and go unnoticed: the southern climates send their visiters to us in the spring; the northern countries despatch their light-winged nations in the autumn. They people our groves, our fields, and the margins * The Introduction to the amusing volume " On the Architecture of Birds." B of our rivers and lakes; and yet by many they are totally unobserved. To the female sex who dwell in the country, so much at home, and whose walks are often confined to the shrubberies and pleasure-grounds near their dwellings, these beautiful and delicate beings offer a constant source of amusement and interest. Some persons imagine that this is a difficult subject, requiring scientific knowledge and hard names. We can assure them they are mistaken; and propose to make a few observations on some of our birds, found almost every where, hoping to excite the attention of those attached to rural pursuits. We will first speak of the smaller feathered race, that flit from hedge to hedge, and make our woods and lawns echo with their melody. Most persons are acquainted with three birds, a sparrow, a robin, and a blackbird; some, besides, know a skylark *: as to the rest, they are often confounded under the general, and rather degrading, name of small birds. From the mischievous habits of one or two little marauders, a general war of extermination is often carried on against the * We have sometimes asked our fair young friends if they knew as many of the smaller birds as they could count on their fingers? They usually answered confidently in the affirmative; but could seldom get much beyond one hand. - feathered race whether hard-billed birds, who devour grain; or soft-billed birds, who destroy gnats. A very slight knowledge of their structure and habits would have saved from destruction almost all the warblers who delight us with their song. Perhaps, if we take a short view of our common birds, beginning with the missel thrush, the largest British songster, and coming down. to the golden-crested wren, it may repay our trouble. Within these limits we shall find about seventy birds, varying in size, form, habits, structure, and note; most of which are seen, at one or other time of the year, in the fields and woods which surround our dwellings, and many of them are constantly with us. They may be divided into hard-billed birds, feeding on grain, seeds, and fruits; and softbilled birds, on insects and worms. Some feed on both; and many grain-eaters devour insects, though few of the soft-billed eat seeds. These are again divided into families, from some peculiarity in their formation (chiefly the beak); as the finches buntings, warblers, &c. It is not our intention to enter into a description of their specific differences: any person who wishes to do so, with Bewick's British Birds, and Mon |