vi PREFACE. 
mittee on Classification and Nomenclature of North Amer- 
ican Birds was reappointed! to take charge of the work. 
The Committee held sessions in Washington, D. C., January 
15-19, 1894, and February 12, 13, 1895. to outline the work 
and to rule on the questions involved in the publication of 
the revised List. The revision of the matter relating to the 
geographic distribution of the species and subspecies was 
undertaken by the Committee as a whole, each member in 
turn taking it in hand, while the incorporation of typographic 
and other rectifications made during the sessions of the Com- 
mittee,? and the final preparation of the manuscript for the 
printer, was referred to a subcommittee consisting of the 
Editor of ‘ The Auk,’ to whom was also assigned the general 
editorial supervision of the work. 
The following extracts from the Introduction to the Code 
of Nomenclature (pp. 14, 15) will serve to explain the scope 
and plan of the Check-List, including the method of incor- 
porating additions. 
“yz, That the term ‘ North American,’ as applied to the proposed 
List of Birds, be held to include the continent of North America 
north of the present United States and Mexican boundary, and 
Greenland ; and the peninsula of Lower California, with the islands 
naturally belonging thereto. 
‘2. That species be numbered consecutively, and that subspecies 
be enumerated by affixing the letters a, 0, c, etc., to the number borne 
by their respective species ; provided, that any subspecies of a species 
not included in the North American Fauna shall be separately num- 
bered as if a species. 
“3. That stragglers or accidental visitors, not regarded as com- 
ponents of the North American Fauna, be distinguished by having 
their respective numbers in brackets. 
1 With the exception of Mr. H. W. Henshaw, who was unable to serve, and 
Dr. C. Hart Merriam was appointed in his stead. 
*The Committee desires to here acknowledge valuable assistance received, 
especially in the preparation of the geographic portions of the list, from Major 
Charles Bendire, Mr. Frank M. Chapman, Dr. Walter Faxon, Dr. A. K. Fisher, 
Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr.,and Dr. T.S. Palmer. The Committee is further indebted 
to Dr. Palmer for numerous corrections in the citations of original references. 
