Vil INTRODUCTION. 
Meleagris ocellata, Pharomacrus mocinno, and Zeledonia coronata) restricted to it. 
Central America, as here treated, is in fact merely a subregion of the Neotropical 
Region, with a large admixture of Nearctic forms, especially during the northern 
winter. 
India, including Ceylon and Burma, the birds of which have been most exhaustively 
studied, and which is perhaps the only other well-defined tropical region with which 
the Central-American Avifauna can be compared, has 1626 species (Blanford, 1898) 
as against our 1413. It must be remembered, however, that the area of India is 
nearly twice as large as that of our region, so that the balance of numbers is very 
considerably in favour of Central America. North America has 768 species (A.0O.U. 
Check-list, 1895). 
The material for this work was mainly obtained by Salvin and myself during our 
several visits to Central America. Salvin visited Guatemala three times—in 1857- 
1858; 1861-1863, in company with myself, for part of the time; and, finally, in 1867. 
On his way to and from Guatemala he also collected (with me) in British Honduras, 
and on one of these trips he also investigated en route various places on the Isthmus 
of Panama. Salvin first reached Belize in December 1857. After a few days’ stay he 
proceeded down the coast to Yzabal, over the inland lake called the Golfo Dulce, and 
thence to the city of Guatemala, collecting by the way. Duefias, about thirty miles 
south of the capital, situated between the Volcanoes of Agua and Fuego, was his 
headquarters during his six-months’ residence in the country; but he also made two 
excursions towards the Pacific coast, and one to the lake of Atitlan in the Los Altos 
region. Leaving the country in June 1858, he returned home by way of Panama. On 
the second journey I accompanied him. We arrived at Belize in September 1861, having 
spent about three weeks in Jamaica on the way. From Belize we proceeded wid the 
Golfo Dulce to Yzabal, remained there a few days, and then passed on over the Mico 
Mountains to the ruins of Quirigua. From Quirigua we travelled vid Zacapa and 
Guatemala city to Duefias. Here we stayed for about three months, collecting 
principally in the forests on the slopes of the Volcan de Fuego. We then went 
to San Gerdnimo, in Baja Vera Paz, and spent about two months there, making various 
excursions tu the mountains of Santa Cruz, Chilasco, &c. From San Gerénimo we 
continued our journey to Coban, whence trips were made to Choctum and Cubilguitz in 
the low ground of Alta Vera Paz. Salvin left me at Coban, and went to Peten, by way 
of Lanquin, Cahabon, and Chisec, and on by the River Belize to Belize, subsequently 
