Preface 



species that should have been included. In 

 anticipation of such criticism I may say that 

 I have done my best to deal impartially with 

 my feathered friends. I have served in three 

 provinces, viz. the United Provinces, Madras, 

 and the Punjab, and have spent a little time 

 on the Bombay side, and have been largely 

 guided by my experience. It is, I admit, quite 

 likely that some of the birds I have omitted 

 may be very common in certain localities. I 

 shall be glad to hear of any such with a view 

 to adding them to a second edition should 

 that be called for. 



I would emphasise the fact that this book is 

 a mere key, and as such is of necessity a col- 

 lection of the dry bones of ornithology and 

 devoid of any literary merit. The book will lose 

 much of its value unless it be used in con- 

 junction with other books, such as Jerdon's 

 Birds of India^ or the bird volumes of 

 the Fauna of British India series, to which 

 references are made in the case of every 

 species mentioned. The present work is 

 primarily a companion to either of the above 

 volumes. 



When once the common birds have been 

 learned, it becomes comparatively easy to 



