THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND EDUCATION,
APPOINTED BY THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING
CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR THE

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE;
SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY,

GREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS;

4, ROYAL EXCHANGE; 16, HANOVER STREET, HANOVER SQUARE ;

AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.

1852.

189. C: 126.

LONDON:

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Music of Nature Common Thrush

-

Solitary Thrush-

Winter Woods-Missel Thrush-Blackbird-Usefulness

of Blackbird-Ring Ouzel-Dipper-Pastor Ouzel-Field-

fare-Redwing-Birds practising their Songs-Golden

Oriole

CHAPTER II.

Beauty of Spring-Various Appearances of Nature-Time

of Nest-building-Nests of various Birds-Patience of

the Mother-bird during Incubation-Affection of Parent

Birds for their Young-Hedge Sparrow-Associations

connected with Singing of Birds - Alpine Accentor

Chiff-chaff: Tameness in Captivity-Yellow Wren-At-

tachment of Birds to their Nests-Wood Warbler -

Dartford Warbler-Gold-Crest: Great Beauty of its Nest

-Fire-crested Regulus-Common Wren-Old Traditions

respecting Wren-Cruel Superstition respecting Wren in

Ireland-Devices of Wren for concealing its Nest-Great

value of Wren in destroying Insects and their Larvæ

Singular Practice in European Countries of terming the

Wren "King"

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CHAPTER III.

Beauty of Streams and their Margins-Flowers and Birds

peculiar to these Places-Sedge Warbler-Its Power of

Imitating other Birds-Reed Warbler-Beauty of its Nest

--Grasshopper Warbler-Ventriloquising Power of this

Bird-Pied Wagtail-Continental Species of Wagtail-

Cuckoo placing its Egg in Nest of Wagtail-Grey Wag-

tail-Yellow Wagtail .

CHAPTER IV.

Summer and the Cuckoo-Nightingale-Song joyous or

sad-Opinions of Poets-Description of its Song-Jealous

Character of this Bird-Blackcap-Affection of this Bird

to its Young and to Man-Garden Warbler-Whitethroat

-Lesser Whitethroat.

CHAPTER V.

Our Heath-lands during Winter and Spring-Wheatear-

Singular Note-Autumnal Flight-Numbers taken in

Traps-Stonechat-Whinchat-Successful Imitation by

Whinchat of Songs of other Birds

CHAPTER VI.

Notes of various Birds in Autumn-Redbreast's Autumnal
Song-Familiarity of this Bird with Man-Song at other
Seasons of the Year-Robin a favourite Bird in many
European Countries Old notion that it strewed with
Leaves the Bodies of the Unburied-References to several
old Authors respecting this-Pugnacity of the Robin-

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