INTRODUCTION. IX 



specimens. Amongst these I particularly wish to record mj- thanks 

 to : — Herr August von Pelzeln, of Vienna ; Prof. Baird and Mr. Ridg- 

 way, of the U.S. National Museum, Washington ; M. L. Taczanowski, 

 of Warsaw ; Hans, Graf von Berlepsch, of Mucnden ; and Mr. G. N. 

 Lawrence, of New York. 



Finally, I must ask to be allowed to express my admiration of 

 the noble gift made to the Nation by Messrs. Osbert Salvin and 

 F. DuCane Godman of their unrivalled series of New- World Birds, 

 the accession of which has enormously increased the wealth of 

 the National Collection as regards the families treated of in the 

 present volume. 



I must also ask these gentlemen to accept my grateful acknow- 

 ledgments of the liberal manner in which they have given me 

 unrestricted access to their specimens, so that I was enabled to 

 catalogue them before their transfer to the British Museum. The 

 facilities thus generously afforded have greatly lessened my labours 

 on the present Volume. 



PHILIP LUTLEY SCLATER. 



3 Hanover Square, W., 

 19th April, 1886. 



