vi PREFACE 



the younger readers to turn back to the scientific statement. Interest in the subject is further 

 sought by the inclusion of many pictures taken from Hving animals, and, so far as possible, 

 in the open. In a few instances animals were caged, and in a few others, pictures were made 

 from mounted specimens. But the large majority are from field subjects obtained at the 

 cost of infinite time and patience, and occasionally at the personal risk of the photographer. 



A work of this sort is dependent in large measure upon the published works of authorities 

 which have preceded it. The recent observations of naturalists and sportsmen are of highest 

 value only when checked up with earlier field work. We append a bibliography of the chief 

 sources so used for " Mammals of America," as a partial acknowledgment of our indebted- 

 ness; and wish to mention particularly the works of Allen, Audubon, Bailey, Coues, Elliot, 

 Grinnell, Hornaday, Ingersoll, Lydekker, Merriam, Miller, Pycraft, Roosevelt, Seton, and 

 Stone, there listed. We wish also to thank Messrs. Charles Scribner's vSons for permission 

 to use quotations from Theodore Roosevelt's articles appearing in their magazine; Dr. William 

 T. Hornaday, Director of the New York Zoological Park, for permission to use material from 

 his books, and for suggestions and courtesies; Messrs. George H. Doran & Co., for permission 

 to use material by Daniel J. Singer; and various officials of the American Museum of Natural 

 History, and the United States Biological Survey for their interest and active assistance. 

 Thanks are likewise due to various outdoor magazines such as Outing, Field and Stream, 

 The National Sportsman, and Recreation, for permission to quote from articles and use 

 pictures found in their pages. 



To the many photographers and field observers all over the land, whose patient and 

 adventurous work speaks for itself in the following pages, we can express but imperfectly the 

 debt of gratitude we feel. They have brought home to us the secrets of forest, field and 

 water — showing us as no amount of printed words could do the reality of the outdoor world. 

 Literally years of efifort have gone into these pictures which speak to us from almost every 

 page. Wherever possible we have credited the name of the photographer on each picture. 

 Special photographs were obtained from the New York Zoological Park, by Mr. E. R. San- 

 born; the American Museum of Natural History, through Dr. G. Clyde Fisher; and the 

 United States Biological Survey. A valuable series of pictures of moles, shrews, and rodents 

 was obtained from the West Virginia University Experiment Station. The work of the 

 photographers has been further supplemented with drawings by Carl Rungius, Belmore 

 Browne, George A. King, and Henry Thurston. The attractive color note found on the 

 title page was obtained from an original kindly loaned by the United Fruit Company. 



Following the text proper, the reader will find a brief but useful glossary of scientific or 

 unusual words; a bibliography of sources already alluded to; and an index referring to the 

 several hundred species by scientific name, common name, and other local names, so that 

 even if only one name of an animal is known, it may be possible to turn at once to the page 

 where it is described. 



