In this first book the object is to tell in plain language the things that every one ought to know about poultry, pigeons, and cage birds; to teach fundamental facts in such a way that they will be fixed in the mind; to excite interest in the subject where none existed; and to direct enthusiasm along right lines. While the demand has been almost wholly for a poultry book, pigeons and cage birds are included, because they are of more interest than some kinds of poultry and better adapted than any other kind to the conditions of city life. In regard to the time that should be given to this course, one period a week for forty weeks is better than a period a day for forty days, because the average person, young or old, retains a great deal more of what is read or heard about a diversified subject if the ground is covered by easy stages with comparatively long intervals between. References for collateral readings and suggestions for original investigations are omitted, because, in the author's opinion, what work of this kind it is desirable for a high-school pupil to do should be done by those taking practice work in the advanced course. JOHN H. ROBINSON READING, MASSACHUSETTS CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. BIRDS AND THEIR RELATIONS TO MAN 1 Definition of a bird; Place of birds in the animal kingdom; Flight of birds; Voices of birds; Social relations of birds--Place of birds in domestication--Uses of birds in domestication--Place of wild birds in civilization--Classes of domestic birds II. CHARACTERS AND HABITS OF BIRDS RELATED TO USE 8 Feathers--Structure of feathers--Arrangement of the feathers--Decorative feather forms--Color in feathers--Growth and molting of feathers--Flight--Mechanism of the wing--Scratching--Swimming--Foods and mode of digestion--Peculiarities of birds' eggs--Development of the egg--Rate and amount of egg production--Incubation--Development of the embryo in a bird's egg III. SPECIES AND THEIR DIVISIONS IN DOMESTIC BIRDS 24 Definition of species--Origin of species--Natural varieties--Varieties in domestication--Classification of domestic varieties of birds--Systematic mixtures of breeds and varieties--Pure-bred, thoroughbred, and standard-bred IV. FOWLS 31