IV FREFACE, 



extenck'd to foreign species in general, there would 

 be an apparent inconsistency in using it; and lastly, 

 1 ditt'er with J)r. Leach in a few of his generic dis- 

 tinctions. Having examined the etymological rea- 

 sons by which the Antients ajjpear to have been 

 directed in their choice of names for Birds, I shall 

 frequently allude to this branch of the subject in the 

 course of the ensuing remarks. I do not pretend 

 to knowledge enough of Ornithology in general, to 

 determine which of the two arrangements is the best 

 for Birds universally. That of Latham, and others, 

 founded on the Linnacan system, seems preferable, if 

 we consider the infinite aj^proximations of the genera 

 to each other ; and the wholly artificial nature of 

 generic arrangement : while the catalogue of Dr. 

 Leach is certainly more conformable to the diffe- 

 rences of the character of Birds, and also to the 

 notions of the Antients. In those few instances where 

 he has appeared to me to have mistaken the old name, 

 1 have ventured to substitute one which I believe to 

 belong antiently to the bird. So that in the fol- 

 lowing Catalogue, the large capitals will designate the 

 Linnaean name according to the arrangement now 

 adopted. The small Roman letter will mark the names 

 of the old writers brought to light again by Dr. Leach, 

 Where 1 have altered them, 1 have put a ?. In the 

 italic are written tlie Knglish provincial names, and 

 some of the French, Italian, and Welch; while the 

 German are put in a peculiar character. By this 

 assemblage of synonimous terms, it is presumed the 

 identification of the particular species will be insured. 

 I have inserted the ])rovincial name alone, for the 

 varieties, and have prefixed to them the customary 

 Greek small letters. And I have subjoined to the 

 doubtful or scarce species, the places where they have 

 been found. The Arabic figures which express the 

 number of birds in the Catalogue, w ill serve for refe- 

 rence in subsequent observations. 



