PREFACE 



TO THE SECOND AND THIRD VOLUMES. 



The author's original intention, as announced in the preface to the 

 lirst volume of this work, was to have devoted the second exclusively to 

 water birds, reserving for the third the few unpublished land birds 

 which he at that time possessed. Having since, however, by extending 

 his researches to the most opposite and remote parts of the Union, foi*- 

 tunately succeeded in procuring a sufficient number of land birds to 

 make up a volume, or perhaps two, by themselves, he has changed his 

 original plan for one which is more systematical, and which moreover 

 enables him to complete the series of the numerous and interesting 

 order of Passeres. All the remaining land birds of the United States 

 will then be, the three large Vultures, the most interesting of which, 

 the Condor, is already drawn ; the Strix cinerea, the largest Owl 

 known ; and the Californian Quail.* 



* Two of the Vultures are figured by Temminck in the Planches ColorUes ; 

 Cathartes californianus, PI. 31, and Cathartes gryphus, PI. 133, the male, and PI. 

 408, the young female. The latter species had also been previously figured by 

 Humboldt, Obs. de Zool. The third, Cathartes papa, was long since figured by 

 Bufibn, PL Enl. 428 ; and also by Vieillot, Gal. dcs Ois. PI. 3, under the name of 

 Gypagus papa. 



Strix cinerea has never been represented, and was ranked by us among those 

 species which from their not having for a long period come under the observation 

 of naturalists, we considered obsolete. We have recently ascertained that it 

 inhabits near Lake Superior, and intend that it shall occupy a plate in a future 

 volume, along with several Hawks, which though represented by Wilson, we think 

 it necessary to figure in various states of plumage in order to clear up the intricacy 

 of their history. 



Perdix califurnica has Itcen figured by Lapeyrousc, Shaw, and others. 

 Vol. III.— 10 (145) 



