Explanation of the Labels. — The labels attached to the 

 specimens give, besides their English and scientific names, the 

 locality where the specimen was taken, and generally the sex and 

 age, when the sexes greatly differ in color or size. The number 

 at the upper left-hand corner of the label is the number of the 

 specimen as entered in the Museum Register ; the words in the 

 opposite corner, as " Maximilian Collection," " Elliot Collection," 

 " Verreaux Collection," etc., indicate the source from which the 

 specimen was obtained. In most cases where the specimens were 

 presented the donor is credited with the gift at the lower left- 

 hand corner of the label. 



The authority given for the scientific name is always that of the 

 original describer of the species; when the author's name is in- 

 closed in parenthesis the inclosure means that the species was origi- 

 nally referred to some genus other than that in which it is now 

 placed. 



The North American birds are labeled and arranged in accor- 

 dance with the " Code of Nomenclature and Check-List of North 

 American Birds," prepared by a Committee of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union, and published by the Union in 1886. The 

 South American and Old World birds are labeled (as far as labels 

 have been prepared) in accordance with the latest authoritative 

 works and monographs relating to the birds in question. 



For the cuts illustrating the present Guide the Museum is in- 

 debted to Messrs. Estes & Lauriat, of Boston, and the Century 

 Company, of this city. Figures i, 4, 5, 14, and 17, are from Dr. 

 Coues's " Key to North American Birds," published by Estes & 

 Lauriat ; figures 2, 3, 6-13, 15, 16, and 18 are from the "Century" 

 Magazine and "Sport with Gun and Rod," published by the 

 Century Company. 



