INTRODUCTION. 



This volume on the Life Histories of Nortli Aiiiei-i(';ui Birds, Hke the one 

 precedinii', is l)ased on the collections in the United States National lAInsenni, 

 and relates only to land birds. The classitication i^ixen in the ( !odc and ('heck 

 List of the American ( )rnit]ioloo-ists' Union h.as ayain Iteen followed, and the 

 species and subspecies have been treated in a manner similai- to that adopted 

 in the earlier volume. 



Since the publication of the initial Nolume the or>logical collection has 

 been very materially increased. Dr. William L. Rali)li, of Utica, New York, 

 has, with commendable liberality, presented his entire collection, nnmljerino- 

 over seven thousand specimens, to the Smithsonian Institution. This contains 

 beautifully prepared sets of the ei^gs of man}' of the rarer species, quite a 

 number of which have heretofore been unrepresented. To this ct)llection our 

 generous friend is constantly adding, regardless of expense. 



]\Iy thanks are especially due to Dr. Ral[)h and to m>' nmnerous corre- 

 spondents wdiose names appear in the body of this \-olume; by the kind 

 cooperation of these gentlemen I have been greatly aided in the preparation of 

 this work. I am also indebted to the United States Department of Agriculture 

 for the many courtesies extended through Dr. C. Hart i\Ierriam, who has given 

 me access to the collections and furnished me with the results of the investifa- 

 tiv)ns made by this Department. 



The original water-color drawings from which the plates have been repro- 

 duced, like those of the former volume, are the work of Mr. John L. Kidgwav, 

 of Washington, District of Columbia, and of the same standard of excellence. 

 The chromo-lithographic reproductions are by the Ketterlinus Printing Com- 

 l)any, of Philadelithia, Pennsylvania, and T am ])leased to l)e able to say that 

 they come up fully to my expectations. The illustrations are all natural size. 



TiiE Author. 



