NOTE 
THOSE who may look into this book are warned that they will 
not find a complete treatise on Ornithology, any more than an 
attempt to include in it all the names under which Birds, even 
the commonest, are known. ‘Taking as its foundation a series 
of articles contributed to the ninth edition of the ‘Encyclo- 
pedia Britannica, I have tried, first, to modify them into 
something like continuity, so far as an alphabetical arrange- 
ment will admit; and, next, to supplement them by the 
intercalation of a much greater number, be they short or long, 
to serve the same end. Of these additions by far the most 
important are those furnished by my fellow-worker Dr. Gapow, 
which bring the anatomical portion to a level hitherto un- 
attained, I believe, in any book that has appeared. For other 
contributions of not less value in their respective lines, I have 
to thank my old pupil Mr. LypEKKer, my learned colleague 
Professor Roy, and my esteemed correspondent Dr. SHUFELDT, 
formerly of the United States’ Army. Dr. Gadow’s articles 
are distinguished by their title being printed in Italic type: 
those of the other contributors bear their author’s name at the 
end. 
For my own part I have to say that, in the difficult task 
of choosing the subjects for additional articles, one of my main 
objects has been to supply information which I know, from 
