NOTE 



Those who may look into this book are warned that they will 

 not find a complete treatise on Ornithology, any more than an 

 attempt to include in it all the names under which Birds, even 

 the commonest, are known. Taking as its foundation a series 

 of articles contributed to the ninth edition of the ' Encyclo- 

 paedia Britannica,' I have tried, first, to modify them into 

 something like continuity, so far as an alphabetical arrange- 

 ment will admit; and, next, to supplement them by the 

 intercalation of a much greater number, be they short or long, 

 to serve the same end. Of these additions by far the most 

 important are those furnished by my fellow-worker Dr. Gadow, 

 which bring the anatomical portion to a level hitherto un- 

 attained, I believe, in any book that has appeared. For other 

 contributions of not less value in their respective lines, I have 

 to thank my old pupil Mr. Lydekker, my learned colleague 

 Professor Eoy, and my esteemed correspondent Dr. Shufeldt, 

 formerly of the United States' Army. Dr. Gadow's articles 

 are distinguished by their title being printed in Italic type: 

 those of the other contributors bear their author's name at the 

 end. 



For my own part I have to say that, in the difficult task 

 of choosing the subjects for additional articles, one of my main, 

 objects has been to supply information which I know, from 



