PREFACE. 



The exciting cause of this handbook must be looked for in 

 the omission of other Devonshire Natnrahsts to provide a book 

 of reference on the Ornithology of our County; an omission 

 that may perhaps be accounted for, by the seriousness of the 

 undertaking. The great size of the county, and the large 

 (juantity of published notes to be explored, rendered the com- 

 pletion of the task more difficult than I had at all anticipated. 

 Accordingly I thankfully availed myself of the friendly co-operation 

 of the Rev. H. A. Macpherson, who, since the beginning of the 

 present year, has laboured assiduously at the improvement of 

 the text. I have received the sympathetic support of many 

 other naturalists, and tender my grateful thanks to all whose 

 names are mentioned in the text. Though it is impossible to 

 enumerate them here, I can not but express my special obligations 

 to the Rev. M. A. Mathew, Mr. H. E. Rawson, Mr. Mitchell of 

 Tavistock, Dr. Elliot, Mr. Nicholls, Mr. J. H. Gurney, and the 

 Rev. (t. C. Green of Modbury, for assistance received. I am, 

 mifself, solely responsible for the revision of proofs, and claim 

 the kind indulgence of critics for country printers. The 

 classification and nomenclature adopted are those of Mr. Howard 

 Saunder's list of British Rirds. 



Wm. e. h. pidsley. 



Blue Hayes House, 

 Broadclyst. 



Novemher, 1890. 



