xvi PREFACE. 



Guide," ^ have also been written for collectors, being cbiefly 

 manuals of taxidermy.^ The former, so far as it extends, is 

 the fuller of the two.* 



The author of this ornithological biography has endeavored 

 to make it inexpensive, trustworthy, original, and not a com- 

 pilation. He is aware that it is incomplete, treating only of 

 the land-birds and game-birds, which are of all, however, the 

 most accessible to a majority of persons, the most numerous, 

 and certainly the most generally interesting. He hopes, how- 

 ever, that should this volume be favorably received, some 

 naturalist will undertake the biography of the wading and 

 swimming birds, which he himself is incapable of doing, not 

 having had opportunities to make sufficient observations. 

 This volume may be found further incomplete, and he hopes, 

 therefore, that criticisms and corrections will be freely made, 

 that into a second edition, should there be one, he may incor- 

 porate additional facts. That he might not be, or seem, guilty 

 of plagiarism, he has written his biographies before reading 

 those of others, and has afterwards consulted Wilson, etc., 

 for such interesting facts as were unmentioned by himself. 

 These borrowed statements, or passages quoted for their in- 

 trinsic value, have been invariably attributed to their authors, 

 or placed in quotation marks.^^ Sometimes, however, in spite 



Histories of the Birds of Eastern Penn- ■which the figures of the larger birds 



sylvania, by Thomas G. Gentry. are often admirable, while those of the 



** The Naturalisfs Guide, " with a smaller kinds are generally very much 

 complete catalogue of the birds of less successful. The letter-press con- 

 Eastern Massachusetts," and notes sists of short biographical sketches, 

 relative to their migrations, etc. C. J. and synopses of classification." « 

 Maynard. Fields, Osgood, & Co., « This work was long since com- 

 Boston, 1870. pleted. It has met with a cold recep- 



^ In the appendix to the first edition tion, however, and is not to be recom- 



Mr. Minot also mentioned the follow- mended. — W. B. 



ing : Studers Ornithology, " the birds of * Several important works have 



North America, drawn, engraved, and been since added to the above list, 



colored from life by Theodore Jasper, among them two of especial value to 



A. M., M. D. ... To be published (by students of New England birds, viz., 



subscription, at one dollar for each New England Bird Life, by Coues and 



number) in about forty parts, many Stearns, and a reprint of NuttalFs Man- 



of which have already been issued, ual, edited by Montague Chamberlain. 



Each part contains one uncolored, and — W. B. 



three colored lithographic plates, in i° In the case of a few rare birds, 



