Introduction 



This is part 1 of the twenty-first and last in a series of bulletins of 

 the United States National Museum on the life histories of North 

 American birds. Previous numbers have been issued as follows: 



107. Life Histories of North American Diving Birds, August 1, 1919. 



113. Life Histories of North American Gulls and Terns, August 27, 1921. 



121. Life Histories of North American Petrels and Pelicans and Their Allies, 



October 19, 1922. 

 126. Life Histories of North American Wild Fowl (part), May 25, 1923. 

 130. Life Histories of North American Wild Fowl (part), June 27, 1925. 

 135. Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds, March 11, 1927. 

 142. Life Histories of North American Shore Birds (pt. 1), December 31, 1927. 

 146. Life Histories of North American Shore Birds (pt. 2), March 24, 1929. 

 162. Life Histories of North American Gallinaceous Birds, May 25, 1932. 

 167. Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey (pt. 1), May 3, 1937. 

 170. Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey (pt, 2), August 8, 1938. 

 174. Life Histories of North American Woodpeckers, May 23, 1939. 

 176. Life Histories of North American Cuckoos, Goatsuckers, Hummingbirds, 



and Their Allies, July 20, 1940. 

 179. Life Histories of North American Flycatchers, Larks, Swallows, and Their 



AUies, May 8, 1942. 

 191. Life Histories of North American Jays, Crows, and Titmice, January 27, 



1947. 



195. Life Histories of North American Nuthatches, Wrens, Thrashers, and Their 



AlUes, July 7, 1948. 



196. Life Histories of North American Thrushes, Kinglets, and Their Allies, 



June 28, 1949. 



197. Life Histories of North American Wagtails, Shrikes, Vireos, and Their 



.•UUes, June 21, 1950. 

 203. Life Histories of North American Wood Warblers, June 15, 1953. 

 211. Life Histories of North American Blackbirds, Orioles, Tanagers, and Allies, 



February 27, 1958. 



Arthur Cleveland Bent started work on this monumental series in 

 1910, more than a half a century ago. Originally conceived as a 

 continuation of the work on the nests and eggs of North American 

 bu"ds left incomplete in 1896 by the late Major Charles E. Bendire, 

 Mr. Bent expanded its scope "to cover more ground, with the different 

 phases of the life histories arranged in a more definite and uniform 

 sequence." The coverage and format he developed for the first 

 volume have remained essentially unchanged. They are followed in 

 this volume with only minor changes. 



From the beginning ^Lt. Bent regarded the Life Histories as a 

 cooperative venture to be shared in by everybody concerned with 

 North American birds. He sought information for them not only 



XX in 



