1V PREFACE. 
these large Plates is accomplished; and not a few believe that they 
are produced by some mechanical process or by chromo-lithography. 
This, however, is not the case; every sky with its varied tints and 
every feather of each bird were coloured by hand; and when it is 
considered that nearly two hundred and eighty thousand illustrations 
in the present work have been so treated, it will most likely cause 
some astonishment to those who give the subject a thought. 
I am truly and sincerely thankful for the blessing of health 
which has attended me during the course of my twelve years’ 
labour on the present work; and it was only while the Introductory 
matter was going through the press that a severe blight fell upon 
me (the untimely death of my youngest son, Dr. Franklin Gould*), 
and cast a gloom over my future happiness. I should not have 
alluded to this painful subject here did I not feel it was only doing 
justice to his memory, inasmuch as he rendered me much assistance 
in the composition of the following Introduction, which, from his 
varied acquirements, he was well qualified to give. His loss has 
called forth the sympathy of many kind friends, which has in some 
measure assuaged the sad affliction which has befallen me. If I 
am spared it is my intention not to be idle; for although I do not 
entertain the idea of entering upon any new enterprise, I shall still 
pursue the subject with the same energy I have hitherto done— 
at one period of the year attending to the Birds of Asia, at another 
to the recent discoveries in the ornithology of Australia, pursuing 
the subject to New Guinea and the adjacent islands, the avifaunas 
of these latter countries being inseparable. 
It gives me great pleasure to state that my Secretary, Mr. Prince, 
after twelve months’ of very severe illness, is again able to render 
me his assistance, that Mr. Wolf affords me the benefit of his talented 
pencil, and that Mr. Richter and Mr. Hart continue their services as 
heretofore. 
JOHN GOULD. 
November 1, 1873. 
* Dr. F. Gould died of fever on board the Steamship ‘ Behar’ on the 19th 
of March last, during his passage from India to Suez, and was buried the same 
day in the Red Sea. 
