EDITOR'S NOTE. 



When I undertook to bring out this edition of Mr. Hume's 

 work I fully intended that it should be a supplement, as it 

 were, to my volumes on the Birds of India, with the same 

 arrangement and nomenclature, the whole thus forming a 

 fairly complete history of the Avifauna of the Indian Empire. 



My expectations have been disappointed. I find it quite 

 impossible to complete the account of the Birds in the ' Fauna 

 of British India ^ within the narrow limits of my furlough, 

 aud I have been obliged to abandon the work. 



This in itself is no matter for regret, as the work will 

 probably be completed by more competent hands than mine ; 

 but it is so far regrettable that it will cause a want of agree- 

 ment or correspondence between the Manual on Birds and 

 Mr. Hume's laborious and ample account of their nidification, 

 a want of correspondence the more to be lamented, inasmuch 

 as no one is likely, I fear, for many years to come, to write 

 a complete history of the Birds of India. 



In view therefore of my early return to India and in 

 fulfilment of my promise to Mr. Hume, I have thought 

 it advisable to push the present volume through the press 



