ii. PREFACE. 



" Catalogue of the Birds of the British Museum," where full 

 synonymy is given in detail, and add only such references 

 which have not appeared in that great work. 



I follow on with a description of the plumage, taken, when 

 possible, from the specimens in the British Museum, for these 

 are the most available to the general public, and finish with 

 all the details I can find regarding the distribution and habits 

 of the species which I consider to be of interest, 



My thanks are therefore due to all the ornithologists whose 

 works I quote. 



