INTRODUCTION. 



The present volume contains the account of the Chenomorpha-> 

 (Palamedeaj, Phceuicopteri, and Anscres), Crypturi, and Eatitje. 



As to the Chenomorj^hce, the Palamedece and the Phcenicopteri 

 contain only a few species, the great bulk consisting of the 

 Anseres. The literature relating to these is very scattered, and 

 few works are specially devoted to them. The first attempt at a 

 complete account was Eyton's ' Monograph of the Anatidsp, or Duck 

 Tribe,' published in 1838, 



Between 1845 and ISoO I)r. Reichenbaeh, in the ' Synopsis 

 Avium,' gave rather indifferent figures, mostly copies, of the ' Nata- 

 tores ' known in his time. 



Prince Bonaparte, in 1856, published the " Conspectus Anserum 

 Systematicus " (Compt, Rend, xliii. pp. 648-ri52), with a nominal 

 list of 172 species known to him. 



Schlegel, in 1866, published in the ' Museum des Pays-Bas ' an 

 account of the 'Anseres' contained in the Leyden Museum (pp. 122); 

 they numbered 1199 specimens, belonging to 140 species. 



In 1869 Eyton published for private circulation a ' Synopsis of 

 the Anatida?,' by which our knowledge -was not advanced. 



G. E. Gray, in 1871, in the 'Hand-list,' gave a nominal list of 

 all the species then known, about 183, of which some cannot be 

 maintained. 



Although not of a general character, the "Revision of the 

 Neotropical Anatidae " (P.Z. S. 1876, pp. 358-412), published by 

 Sclater and Salviit, may be considered the best essay hitherto 

 written on tliis suborder. A very important contribution also is 

 Sclater's " List of tho certainly known Species of Anatidfe " 

 (P. Z. S. 1880, pp. 496-536) ; the species included in this paper 

 amount to 176. 



Tho number of species recognized in the present Catalogue is 196, 



