INTRODUCTION. 3 



field nolet:, which it is hoped will add to the value of the work 

 both for field naturalists and the iiou-scientific lover of birds, for 

 whom they are principally written. 



As regards the classification, this is founded mainly on 

 Gadow's work, but 1 have also had the valuable assistance of 

 W. P. Pyeraft, and the results of his personal work will be found 

 in almost every order, family and genus. I must, however, take 

 upon my own shoulders any criticisms which may be n)ade on the 

 minor divisions in the Passeres, though, here again, my constant 

 object has been to disturb as little as possible the careful work of 

 Blanford and Gates. 



Ornithological work in India has hitherto been divisible into 

 very definite periods. The first period was that prior to the 

 publication of Jerdou's 'Birds of India' in 1862 and the sub- 

 sequent eight or ten years when the leading ligures were Jerdou 

 liimself, Hodgson and Blyth, who may be considered the fathers 

 of Indian Ornithology. 



An account of tlie chief writers on Indian birds up to 1862 

 Avas given by Jerdou in the Introduction to the first volume of 

 the ' Birds of India.' The principal authors mentioned were 

 Franklin, Tickell, Sykes, McClelland, Burgess, Adams, Tytler, 

 Kelaart, Layard and Hutton, in addition to the three already 

 mentioned. 



The next period, from about 1872 to 1898, may be termed 

 Hume's period, the other most notable workers being Tweeddale, 

 Wardlaw-Eamsay, Biddulph, Anderson, Elwes, Beavan, Scully, 

 Sharpe, Stoliczka, Godwin-Austen, Brooks, Ball, King, Vidal, 

 McAfaster, Blanford, Legge, Gates and Barnes, with many other 

 minor writers. 



The third period is that of Blanford and Oates, both leading 

 Ornithologists in the preceding period but completely dominating 

 the position on the publication of the ' Avifauna of British 

 India.' Since these volumes saw the light no big work has been 

 published on Indian birds but Hariugton's ' Birds of Burma,' 

 (dates' ' Game-Birds of India,' many popular works by Dewar, 

 Finn and others, and the present writer's different works on Indian 

 Ducks, Pigeons and Game-Birds have appeared. In addition to 

 these the ' Journalof the Bombay Natural History Society 'contains 

 a mass of details on field ornithology by Harington, Osmaston, 

 Davidson, Bell, Barnes, Inglis, Bailey, AVhistler, Jones, Ilopwood, 



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