10SPtC^ 



Part I ofNehrling's work has met with a reception never before accorded to any ornithological 

 work ever published in this country, The niost pTomiuciit authorities on oniithology and the leading 

 literary and scientific papers pronounce it the best populär work oa the subject evcr iss\ied since 

 Audubon's time. From a great number of letters and reviews the like of wliich iio writer on bird-Iiie 

 ever received before — th<; Ibllowing cxtracts arc inade, showing the character and scopc of the work. 



Prof. Wm. Bkjswstek, of the Muscuiu oi Comparativo 

 Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., a naturalist of the highest rank. 

 an adimrable writer. a great orntthologist, writes to thi- 

 aiithor 



Judging br the First Part, which has just reaclied nie, your 

 "North American Birds" bids fair to ecHpst everything of tht- 

 kitiii -.■- iicli !ias hithcrto apjjcared. In facl it can cncountcr no 

 foniiKla jlc vDinpetition for, since Aadiihon we liave had no 

 geuer;il work froT.i •.oinpetcnt hauds which lias doalt at all 

 thoroughly and satisfactorifv with the populär side of the sub- 

 ject, ihat iE, with thfc life histories of our bir.is. The need of 

 such a booV is pressing and to one who has the couragc, abil- 

 ity and rcsources neccssary for au undertaking of such magni- 

 tudc the tield is praclicaliy untroddeu. 



Tha. j'ou possessthe j-equisites just mcntioned T cannot 

 Joubt. In addition yi^ii inay ount safely 011 the heartiest Sup- 

 port from your biother ornitliolo^ists whose confidence you 

 have alrcady v.-on by your ahle andvaluable papers, especially 

 ihose on Texan birds. 



The plan oi your work seeins to nie admirablc in evcry 

 wny , (considerirg it« a vowed populär missiou, l and its literarj' 

 ■xi-i\ition, as attesttd hy this '.'irsT Part jsevidently to l)e of 

 i tii-'h Order. Your original passaj^es are charmingly written 

 :ii>d tliose takcn at second band, show excillent jiidgcment in 

 «lectioii It is especially refrcshing (o miss the oid, hackneyed 

 qiiotations, worn threadbare by long and frequent ase, and to 

 lind in their placcs so much that is eithcr quite new er of recent 

 origin. If the book does not meet n-ith gencral favor and 

 prove a murked succss the fault raust bc charged to the public, 

 not the authoi 



Prof. J. .1. ■._j..; , .imerican Museum ofNaturalHistory, 

 Central Park, New York City, a well-known sctentist, Presi- 

 ilent of the Americ--- '"''• ■••bologist's •'-■■■:! . .i.< ,- •*' +lu- 

 •Auk", -writes; 



The biograp'iicü ait chaimingly writvea, aud havc a liesh- 

 ness and origiiiali*y that is very nleasing. Ifcarried on asbe- 

 gun I do not See wliy it should not stand at tht: heäd of the list 

 of modern populär works on bird life in this cotiiitry and 

 abr.>ad. exccpting (Krhaps a Single one*, as yet uncompleted, 

 -ind I fear never to bc linishcd. The plates are expressive and 

 iriithful, and are as weil finished, and even better, thaii one 

 wouUi natnrally expect in a work of such moderalc price. The 

 letter-prc<-r. and typography seem abe ve criticism. I am 

 aware 1 .mi giving yonr work high praise, but not higher than 

 I thiiik it deserves. 



• Dr. Blliott Couc«, Birds of the Colorado Valley, Vol. I. tl874]. 



i>R. C. Hart M£RKiA&t, t)rnithologist of the United States 

 Department ofAgrieiiltuie, author of 'The Birds of Connecti 

 cut" and many otherhighly scientific papers onnat.iralhistory. 

 writes 



For severai years J havo lookeci forward to the appearance 

 of this work with unusual intcrest, and i am very glad to sec 

 that it is published in such good style, and that it contains so 

 miicb information of value, presentcd in a pleasaut and read- 

 able manner. 



Su' h a work as you are now pnblishinp has long been 

 necdcc! m this country — a work wiuth combiiics accuracy and 



•'"■'•'■■ ■'-•■ ■, it'.iamiiihuumof technicaldcscriptioii, 



\-ay that all the figures ;.rc rccoguiz- 

 ._ . Jl Warrant the v^rr larco ;-,mcii'it uf 

 atnicy expended in its publicatioa. 



I take the deepesr inteiest in tliis book of yours Ijecanse i 

 hclieveitto iie a work of great importance to American orni- 

 thology, and incomparably the best book of its kind that has 

 evtl- appeared. 



Mr. Eoceke P, Bicknell, Riverdale, . -.l , ^nt oi 



the foremost ornithologists and one of the founders and 

 ofScials of the American Ornithologist's Union writes: 



Your work is far moresatisfactory than other works which 

 have come l>efore me professing more than they performed. 

 Yourpagesliear cvidence ofcareffil and ontliusiastic Observation 

 and study of our birds, and, while containing mueli having 

 that value ro scieiicc whicii always attaches to records of orig- 

 inal Observation, is, at tlie same time, by no means too 

 technical for bird lovers who ave not ornithologists. There is 

 an out-of-doors' atmosphere to your pen-pictures, a flavor of 

 the woods and fields, which caniiot fail to be appreciatcd by 

 all who apprcciatc Nature. 1 think 110 one will dispute mV 

 opinion that your book is well adapted both to arouse and tö 

 hclp satisfy au intcrest in tlie featherel tribe. 



Pkof. K. RlDCW.iY, of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 Washington, T), C, the great omithologist and artist, writes : 



1 took the books home with nie, and have perused theni 

 with very great iileasure. la fact, 1 can tmly say that I bavc 

 never enjoy.d reading al>out our birds as I did your artides um 

 the Wood-Thrufh, Mockingbird, and other songsters includcd 

 in the First Part of your work. Parring a few typograplücal 

 errors (which are ofcourso inevitaWo) the work is in every re- 

 spect most admirable, and canuot faii to delight aa well as in- 

 struct all lovers of the woods and their feathered inhabitants 

 who are so fortunate, as to possess it. 



In the forthconiing Parts 1 look expectautly forward to a 

 rare treat in the promised serie? of beautifully and truthfuUy 

 writtenlife-histories. The book will surelydo much to maketlie 

 people of our fair iand better acquainted with their song-birds, 

 uufortunaicly too little knowu and too little appreciated by 

 thcm. 



Capt. Chas. Bendke, U. S. A., now Curator of the Oolo- 

 gical Department of the United States National Museum, 

 Washington, D. C. writes; 



Part I. of your work "North American Birds'' tarne tohand 



j'esterday I have osilj' had a chance to hurry through 



the work, but from even a hasty cxainination I mtist saj', that 

 it strikcs me as e;tccedinglj well written, and giving a very 

 accurate ;iud pleasing account of the various species treated. 

 I can See no reason, why it should not bea complete sucess and 

 take the place of a uutnbcr of inferior works of tiie kind. Both 

 Ihe practical ornithologisi: and the amateur will find the work 

 both interestim? am', iuslructiug. 



of New York, editor- in-chief 

 and one of the kading .irni- 



Dr. Geo. ßiüD Gbinneui-, 

 of the "Forest and Stre;<in'' 

 thologfists, writes : 



I expreSS my animritiJi. 101 mc work tiiaLvi/ii ire lomg. 

 A populär work on "North-American Bird;", which should be 

 attvactivc, accurate and ?.t the same time so inexpeusivc as to 

 lie within the reach of ,'Ul, has long bccn netded, and, ifiraay 

 iudge from Part I ofyour North American Hirds, we arc uow 

 have sucha volmne .Itwas higH tiinc that nonie ou«: 



