6 



In preparing the Hand-List no species has been recorded definitely 

 from any island except upon authority believed to be unimpeachable. 

 Where doubt exists as to the occurrence of a given species on any island 

 the fact is indicated by an interrogation point placed after the name of 

 such island. Several species for which no specific habitat within the 

 Archipelago can be assigned have been included, upon the authority of 

 the "Hand-List of Birds," in the belief that so eminent an authority as 

 Dr. Sharpe would not have recorded them as occurring in the Philippines 

 without sufficient evidence. On the other hand, a number of the Phil- 

 ippine species included in Sharpe's Hand-List have been excluded for 

 reasons stated at the proper places in the text. 



To and including the Family Certhiidce the sequence of families is 

 that of Sharpe's Hand-List, Volumes I to IV; for the succeeding families 

 we have followed the scheme proposed by Dr. E. V. Shufeldt in the 

 American Naturalist, XXXVIII, pages 856-857. Thanks are due to 

 Dr. Charles W. Eichmond for suggested corrections in the nomenclature 

 of various genera and species. Dr. Edgar A. Mearns has kindly furnished 

 a MS. list of new localities for a number of species leased upon his collec- 

 tions from Mindanao and neighboring islands. 



The work of the collectors regularly employed by the Insular Govern- 

 ment, as well as that of residents of the Islands and of collectors rep- 

 resenting scientific institutions of other countries, will doubtless make 

 frequent additions and corrections necessary if this Hand-List is to be 

 kept up to date. Supplemental pages containing addenda will be pub- 

 lished from time to time until sufficient matter has been accumulated to 

 justify the revision of the entire list. 



It is hoped that students of Philippine ornithology will aid us, not only 

 by calling attention to any errors which they may note in this list but by 

 communicating authentic facts relative to the occurrence in the Philip- 

 pines of species not included in it, and to the recording from any new 

 islands in the Archipelago of species already known to inhabit the 

 Philippines. Due credit will be given to all persons furnishing such 

 information. 



Attention is invited to the fact that the ornithological books and papers 

 in the general scientific library of the Bureau of Government Laborato- 

 ries ^ and the bird collection of some 6,000 carefully identified specimens 

 may be used, under reasonable restrictions, by any properly accredited 

 person. 



Dean C. Worcester. 



Manila, P. I., September 9, 1905. 



'The Bureau of Government Laboratories, after November 1, 1905, will be known 

 as the Bureau of Science. 



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