PREFACE, vil. 
brief, and to go into particulars with each species would, of course, necessitate a two volume 
work. Thespecimens received from other collectors in exchange are, in many cases, accompanied 
by only meagre data, a fact which, however, does not mar their authenticity. 
During my rambles through the scrubs and forests of the Bellenger, Clarence, and Richmond 
River districts of New South Wales, I always carried a camera with me when practicable, and 
succeeded in supplementing my oological trophies with many unique and interesting photo- 
graphs, a large selection of which appears in the present volume. The camera proved invaluable 
for recording the natural situations of those nests, which were too bulky to collect i toto, and 
in this way a mass of interesting information was made available which would otherwise have 
been lost. 
The collection has now passed from my hands, having been purchased by another bird 
lover, viz., Henry L. Wuire, Esq., of Belltrees, near Scone, New South Wales, but, though 
I can no longer pore over the treasures it contains, pleasant recollections of the building will 
always be with me, and the thought of it will bring back happy memories of many golden days 
and sparkling nights in the open. 
S.W.]J. 
Chatswood, 
Sydney, 
12th November, 1907. 
