Page:Bird Life Throughout the Year (Salter, 1913).djvu/20

14 the past though, while human nature remains unchanged, it will never entirely cure him of the desire to make prize of their eggs.

The idea of a Nature Calendar dates from the days of good old Gilbert White and, as a helpful aid to memory, it can scarcely be omitted. Many such have been published, but are often misleading, inasmuch as they give the earliest date for each occurrence. The writer, from his own notes of the past thirty-five years, aims at giving an average date. It is evident that as regards nesting and the appearance of the migrants, there must be a considerable difference between Sussex or Hampshire and Northumberland, so that the lists should be approximately correct for a Midland district. The date given when a bird "nests" is that of the laying of the first egg.