LONDON I f
PRINTED BY WÖODFApi AND KINDER,
MILFORD LANE. STRAND, W.C.
P R E F A C E
TQ
YOLS. III.-IV* OF THE FOURTH EDITION.
This Fourth Edition of Yarrell’s ‘History ofUBritish
Birds ’ was commenced by Professor' Newton in 1871, and
continued by him until May 1882, during which time the
account of the AcGispiUe\ :Pus$eresv and ‘Plc^id, was completed.
In June 1882 1 undertook „tegfinish the work—Hot
willingly or with a light heart, but- after- considerable pressure
and at much ^personal sacrifice. There were various difficulties
which could^be foreseen, and np,t the least among
them was the conviction, that my portion of the work must
necessity „appear at a disadvantage when compared with
the high standard of excellence attainediby my predecessor.
There was, moreover, a stipulation for the completion of the
work -jby June 1885; and, allowing for. a pre-arranged and
necessary absence „of, six months from England, this left
only tw;o and a half years for writing ithe history of nearly
200 species.. The accomplishment of the task within the
allotted term may be allowed to extenuate some slips of the
pen which are corrected, in the Errata-.,
The Second and Third tJSdifions were little,,, .more than
reprints with additions, of the First, which appeared just
forty-two years ago. During the interval our knowledge of
many species has been vastly augmented, and the literature
of the, main su|jggt has been more than doubled; an in