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Catalogue of the Birds of J^orth America contained in the 

 Museum of the Essex Institute; — vnth ivhicJt is in- 

 coi'porated A List of the Bii'ds of JVeiv England. 

 With brief Critical and Field JSfotes. 



By Dr. Elliott Coues, U. S. A. 



It is with pleasure that I accede to a request made by 

 Mr. F. W. Putnam, Superintendent of the Museum of 

 the Essex Institute, to identify and prepare a Catalogue 

 of the North American Birds contained in the Collection. 



The Ornithological department of the Museum, al- 

 though not very extensive, so well illustrates, as every 

 local collection should, the species of the immediate 

 vicinity, that, by the addition of a comparatively few 

 desiderata, it may easily be rendered a complete exponent 

 of the Birds of Essex County. Numerous species of other 

 portions of North America, and a number of exotic spe- 

 cies are also represented. The entire collection is in a 

 state of preservation rarely equalled in a public museum, 

 and is an encomium upon the scientific taste and enter- 

 prise of the community which requires no comment. 



In preparing a Catalogue of the Birds of the Essex 

 Institute Museum, I had at first intended merely to pre- 

 sent, in addition, a synopsis of the birds of the County 

 of which the collection does not contain examples, for the 

 purpose of showing exactly what were its desiderata 

 among the species of the immediate vicinity. But the 

 Avifiiuna of the County, with a few exceptions, does not 

 differ in a notable degree from that of the State at large ; 

 of which so many excellent lists have already appeared, 

 that an additional one would be entirely superfluous.* 



There are also at our disposal several other local lists 

 of various localities throughout New England. It has 



*That of Mr. J. A. Allen's, in particular, would be difficult to improve 

 upon as regards completeness, accuracy, and interest; and is, 1 think, 

 one of the most perfect samples of a local list I have ever had the 

 pleasure of perusing. 



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