INTEODUCTOEY EXPLANATIONS. 



The following purports to be a complete list of such birds as have 

 been recorded as occurring in those parts of Pennsylvania and New 

 Jersey lying east and south of the Alleghany Mountains. The list 

 has been based mainly upon the experience of the members of the 

 Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, drawn from their collections 

 and field notes. In order, however, to make it more accurate, it has 

 been necessary to consult as well the experience of others. With 

 this end in view, all the published matter relating to the ornithology 

 of this section, as far as known and available to the compiler, has 

 been consulted, and correspondence has been carried on with orni- 

 thologists in various parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 



The material thus collected necessarily contained much that is 

 misleading and erroneous, and the elimination of such matter has 

 proved a most difficult task. Many published errors have been easily 

 traced out by correspondence and examination of specimens; but 

 concerning many other records which seemed improbable or doubtful 

 we have been unable to obtain any further information whatever, and 

 have, therefore, been compelled to leave them out, as it was consid- 

 ered better to err in this way than to include statements which might 

 prove erroneous. We trust that the omission of published records 

 which we thought required verification, will induce those who may 

 be able to verify them to forward us the desired information. 



In order that the grounds upon which many species are included 

 may be clearly understood, we would state that actual specimens 

 taken within the region under consideration (or so labelled on good 

 authority), have been examined by the author in the case of all the 

 species contained in the list with the exception of the following: * 



* Of the following rare species authentic specimens taken in the district have been exam- 

 ined, but no captures have been made for a number of years: 



Sterna fursteri, Accipiter atricapillus, 



Sler7ia fuliginosa. Dry abates boreaiis, 



Crex crex, Melospiza lincolni, 



Recurvirostra americana, Ampelis garrulus, 



Ereunetes occidentalU, Helminthophila lawrencei, 



Limosa hcemastica, Helminthophila celaia, 



Charadrius dominicus, Dendroica lownsendi. 



Ectopistes migraiorius, 



(35) 



