

PREFACE. 



When I published the first volume of " The Birds of 

 Africa " I had sketched out the classification down to the 

 " Keys of the Species," and intended to bring this out as the 

 second volume ; but the number of known Ethiopian forms 

 increases so rapidly that I recognised how imperfect these 

 " keys " would be by the time I came to write the history 

 of the species, so decided to work out each family in a 

 monographic form. 



The Classification is compiled mostly from Seebohm's 

 "Classification of Birds" (1890), and that proposed by Dr. 

 R. B. Sharpe at the Ornithological Congress, Buda-Pest, 

 1891, and I have followed these authors in the use of the 

 termination " formes " for the seventeen large divisions which 

 I call Orders. 



I begin with the Passeriformes and follow on with the 

 Piciformes. The two families of these separate orders which 

 appear to me to be most nearly allied are the Swallows and 

 the Swifts, so as I end the Passeriformes with the Hirundinidas 

 it entails beginning the classification with the Oligomyodse. 



The Oligomyodse lead most naturally into the Oscinen 

 through the Madagascar genera Philepitta and Neodrepanis ; 

 therefore I commence the Oscines with the Nectariniidas. 



With regard to the synonymy of the species: I begin with 

 what I consider to be the most correct name ; quote the 



