Birds of Heath and Marshland [antikvár]

Introduction We are presenting nature-lovers with another book dedicated to the best-loved members of the animal kingdom-the birds. This is a companion volume to Birds of Field and Forest, which was mainly devoted to the small species of birds protected by man for their usefulness to the farmer and orchard keeper in controlling insects and other pests, and for their beauty and delightful song. Birds of Field and Forest has been enthusiastically received. Its introductory section, which summed up briefly everything of general interest about birds, included a few words about their anatomy and origin, nesting and migration habits, and their importance to man. In this volume we have selected for presentation some members of the bird community known as game-birds. For the greater part, these are fairly large birds frequenting our heath and marshland, and of special interest to the sportsman. The term 'game-bird' is not so easy to define as it may appear at first sight. There are as many different opinions as there are countries and nations as to what constitutes a game-bird, and even in any single country views are bound to change on this point over the course of the centuries. The point of view of the inhabitants of Iceland's inhospitable shores and the Faroe Islands is apt to differ from that of the Scottish gamekeeper, and again from the huntsman in the Canadian forests, the Australian bush or on the continent of Africa. Opinions as to which birds are fair game are influenced everywhere by the species indigenous to the country in question, by that country's sporting traditions, its cultural standards, its geographical position and climate, by the economic needs of the population, and similar considerations. The European and American huntsmen of several centuries ago had fundamentally changed their views in this respect compared with those prevailing in ancient times; while today, with so much more known about animal life, they are different again. That is why the term 'game-bird' is not so easily defined, for it includes, for example, both our wild ducks and pheasant. For this volume we have selected mainly such represen-