INTEODUCTION. 



Since the publication, in 1859, of the last Smithsonian catalogue of 

 North American birds,* so many important changes have been made in 



^ Three catalogues of Nortli American birds have been issued by the Smithsonian 

 Institution to date, as follows : 



(1) Catalogue of North American Birds, chiefly in the Museum of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. By Spencer F. Baird, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 Washington: Smithsonian Institution. October, 1858. 4to, paper. 1 p. 1., i^p. xvii- 

 Ivi. [Keissue, with new title-page, of pp. xvii-lvi of vol. ix, Pacific R. R. Reports 

 ("Birds of North America"). Includes, besides the list of 738 species, with habitats, 

 tables of the higher groups, and lists of extralimital species (23 in number) treated 

 in the general report, and of others (31) claimed, on apparently insufficient grounds, 

 as North American ; also a summary of the number of species given in the works of 

 Wilson, Bonaparte, and Audubon.] 



(2) Catalogue of North American Birds, ehiefiy in the Museum of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. By Spencer F. Baird. First octavo edition. Washington : Smithsonian 

 institution. [Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, No. 108.] 1859. 8vo. 2 p. 11., 

 pp. 19 + 2. [Based upon the quarto list of 1858, but without habitats, and the mat- 

 ter relating to classification, etc. The two additional pages are an alphabetical index 

 of the North American genera. As in the quarto list, there are, ostensibly, 738 species, 

 but there are 22 interpolations, making a total of 760 names in the list. ] 



(3) A Catalogue of the Birds of North America. By Robert Ridgway. <Proc. U. 

 S. Nat. Mus. iii. Aug. 24-Sept. 4, 1880, pp. 163-246, This catalogue is really the basis 

 of the jiresent oue, which is essentially a revised edition, very materially modified, 

 however, by numerous alterations aud corrections, involving not only the change of 

 a considerable number of names, but also the writing of a new introduction, etc. The 

 edition the title of which has just been quoted has not been puhlished separately, al- 

 though a number of extras were struck off for private use. 



The more important changes which have been made in the present edition consist, 

 as stated above, in (1) a new introduction and (2) change of several names, both 

 generic and specific, as follows : 



a. Generic names changed. 



No. 77. "Helmitherus" changed to Relniinthotherus. 



No. 124-127. "Wilsonia" changed to iLfyiofZioctes. 



No. 310. "Myiodinastes" changed to Myiodynastes. 



No. 460-461. "Zeuiedura" changed to Zenaidura. 



No. 462. " Zemeda " changed to Zenaida. 



No. 517-521. "iEgialitis" changed to jEgialUes. 



No. 599-600. "Dendrocygna" changed to Dendrocycna. 



No. 617-618. "Aythya" changed to ^//(i/m. 



No. 755. " Brachyramphus " changed to Brachyrham^hus. 



