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vi PREFACE. 
By treating of the avifauna of South Africa according to what 
I consider to be its natural limits, the area known as the South 
African Sub-region extends to the Zambesi River on the east 
coast, and to the Quanza River on the west, and this has resulted 
in a large increase in the number of birds to be described. I have, 
therefore, endeayoured to make the geographical distribution of 
South African birds a feature of the present edition, and in some 
instances, such as in the Woodpeckers, Grass-Warblers, Wheatears, 
and Larks, a complete revision of the families has been attempted 
and new descriptions supplied. In most cases, however, I have 
retained the original descriptions given by Mr. Layard, inasmuch 
as they were compiled by a first-rate field-ornithologist for the 
benefit of field-ornithologists, and because they had proved eminently 
successful in the first edition. 
I have to thank all the kind friends who have assisted me in 
the production of the present volume, and I must mention more 
particularly the names of Captain Shelley, Mr. J. H. Gurney, 
Mr. J. E. Harting, Mr. Howard Saunders and Canon Tristram, who 
by the loan of specimens, or by actual assistance in the revision of 
certain groups of birds of which they possess special knowledge, 
have considerably lightened the labour of preparing the second 
edition of the “ Birds of South Africa.” 
R. BOWDLER SHARPE. 
March 24, 1884. 
