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Birds' Nests, Eggs
and Egg-Collecting

By R. Kearton, F.Z.S.
Author of "With Nature and a Camera," "British
Birds' Nests," "Wild Life at Home," etc. etc.

Illustrated with 22 Coloured Plates

Cassell and Company, Limited
London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne
1913

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First printed February 1890. Reprinted June 1890, May 1893.New and Enlarged Edition January 1896. Reprinted June 1896,November 1898, July 1900, March 1902, September 1903, July 1905,December 1907, January 1913.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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PREFACE

The very kindly reception by the press, and a steady publicappreciation, have led to this endeavour to make my littlebook more complete, by preparing an Enlarged Edition,including all British-breeding birds that have now anyreasonable claim for treatment. The work deals with anumber of more or less familiar winter visitors that donot stay to breed with us; however, this is perhaps anadvantage nowadays, when we all travel much and far.

As mentioned in the preface to the first Edition, thisbook is not intended to encourage the useless collectingof birds' eggs from a mere bric-à-brac motive, but to aidthe youthful naturalist in the study of one of the mostinteresting phases of bird life. It is to be hoped that theAct of Parliament empowering County Councils to protecteither the eggs of certain birds, or those of all birdsbreeding within a given area, will be of great benefit tomany of our feathered friends.

Besides a pretty extensive experience, I have, in thepreparation of this work, sought the aid of such excellentauthorities as Yarrel (fourth Edition), Seebohm, Dixon,and others, to all of whom I gratefully acknowledge myindebtedness.

R. KEARTON.

Boreham Wood, Elstree, Herts,
1896.

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