P K E F A C E. 



The preparation of the present volume was commenced in the year 

 1887, but its publication has been delayed from several causes : — 

 The desire of profiting by the most recent attempts at classification 

 rendered changes in the serial arrangement of the families neces- 

 sary ; Mr. Salvin, who at first intended to undertake the whole 

 of the Macrochirous families, together with the Podargidae, was 

 prevented by other engagements from proceeding beyond the 

 Trochilidae, so that a substitute had to be introduced to the work ; 

 and, finally, the material to be catalogued was unusually heavy, as 

 it not only comprises the two largest collections of Humming-Birds 

 that have been made hitherto, viz. those of the late Mr. J. Gould 

 and of Messrs. Godman and Salvin, but was also increased by the 

 accessions of the last four years. Consequently the contents of 

 this volume greatly exceed those of any of the previous ones, as 

 will be seen from the following statement : — 



Species. Types. Specimens. 



TTpupae 16 4 448 



Trochili 482 161 8253 



Cypselidae 78 20 1500 



Caprimulgidffi 86 20 1800 



Podargidaj 24 6 271 



Steatornithidne 1 — 14 



687 211 12,286 



Of the 687 species recorded, 50 are not represented in the 

 Museum ; but besides the 211 types of species admitted as valid, 

 the Collection contains 62 other typical specimens, the names of 



