INTRODUCTION. 



This bulletin contains a continuation of the work on the life histo- 

 ries of North American birds, begun in Bulletin 107 and continued 

 in Bulletins 113 and 121. The same general plan has been followed 

 and the same sources of information have been utilized. 



Nearly all (hose who contributed material for former volumes 

 have rendered similiar service in this case. In addition to those 

 whose contributions have been previously acknowledged, our thanks 

 are due to the following new contributors: 



Photographs have been contributed by A. A. Allen, J. H. Bowles, 

 A. D. Dubois, J. Labarthe, 0. W. Townsend, and W, Kaine. 



Notes and data have been contributed by A. A. Allen, G. M. Allen, 

 H. W. Brandt, L. Griscom, J. F. Honecker, W. J. Hoxie, J. C. Phillips, 

 and G. M. Sutton. Mr. Wharton Huber has written the life history 

 and the distribution of his new species, the New Mexican duck. 



Dr. John C. Phillips has furnished the references for the life histor}^ 

 of the falcated teal and \ei'j kindly placed at the author's disposal 

 his entire unpublished manuscript on this species. 



The information previously furnished by Dr. T. S. Palmer, on 

 bird reservations belonging to the United States, and a lot of data 

 recently furnished by Mr. Hoyes Lloyd, on Canadian bird reservations 

 and sanctuaries, form such a voluminous mass that it seems best to 

 leave it for future publication by itself, rather than attempt to do 

 but scant justice to it in this bulletin. 



The distributional part of this bulletin is the work of the author; 

 but it has been examined by Mr. James H. Fleming, Mr. P. A. 

 Tavcrner, and Mr. F. Seymour Hersey. Mr. Hersey also figured the 

 egg measurements, after collecting a lot of additional measurements 

 from some of the large egg collections, notably those of the California 

 Academy of Sciences (Mailliard collection), the Colorado Museum of 

 Natural History (Bradbury collection), Mr. Kicliard C. Harlow, 

 Col. John E. Thayer, and the ITniversity of California (Grinnell 

 collection) . 



In outlining the breeding ranges of the ducks, no attempt has 

 been made to mention all of the many cases recorded of northern 

 breeding species which liuve lingcretl for the summer and bred far 

 south of their normal breeding ranges, as such birds are often cripples; 

 only a few cases have been mentioned which seemed to be casual 

 breedinjr records of normal birds. 



