INTRODUCTION 



This is the eighteenth 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, Augnst 1, 1919. 



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



121. Life Histories of North American Fetrels 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. 

 102. 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 



Allies, 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 



Allies. July 7, 1948. 



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



June 28, 1949. 



The same general plan has been followed and the same sources of 

 information have been utilized as in previous bulletins, to wdiich the 

 reader is referred. As this and the previous bulletin were prepared 

 simultaneously and were originally intended to be published as one 

 bulletin, the list of contributors is the same for both volumes and need 

 not be repeated here. 



Eighteen complete life histories were contributed especially for this 

 volimie; eight were w^ritten by Bernard W. Tucker and five by Dr. 

 Winsor M. Tyler; Dr. Alden H. Miller, Wendell Taber, Alexander F. 

 Skutch, Alexander Sprunt, Jr., and Eobert S. Woods contributed one 

 each. The same valued assistance was rendered by Dr. Winsor M. 

 Tyler, in indexing, and by Wm. George F. Harris in preparing the 

 egg data and measurements. 



The manuscript for this volume was completed in 1943. Contribu- 

 tions received since then will be acknowledged later. Only informa- 

 tion of great importance could be added. The reader is reminded 

 again that this is a cooperative work ; if he fails to find in these volumes 

 anything that he knows about the birds, he can blame himself for 

 not having sent the information to — 



The Author. 



