PREFACE 
In offering this Second Book, to supplement 
the First Book of Birds, I should like to say that 
I have in each family spoken of species to be 
found in the South and West as well as in the 
Eastern States. As the biographies of Western 
birds have not been fully written, my information 
has sometimes been meagre, but I have done the 
best I could. For authority on Western birds, I 
have depended upon Major Bendire (Life His- 
tories of North American Birds), Professor 
Keeler (Bird Notes Afield), and Miss Florence 
A. Merriam (A-Birding on a Bronco). 
In introducing each family I have selected the 
most common, or the typical species of that 
family. In cases where it was possible, I have 
chosen species represented in the different sec 
tions of the country, not only because the family 
traits are better shown, but because it 1s more 
encouraging to a beginner to become acquainted 
with birds he can see almost anywhere. When 
