INTRODUCTION 
THE matter contained in this work is taken from the 
two volumes of the Argentine Ornithology, published 
in 1888-9, and was my first book on the subject of 
bird life. The late Philip Lutley Sclater, who was 
at that time the chief authority in this country on 
South American Ornithology, collaborated with me 
in the work to the extent of arranging the material 
in accordance with the most popular system of classi- 
fication, and also adding descriptions, synonymy, etc., 
of the species unknown to me. All this matter 
which he contributed in order to make the work 
a complete list, I have thrown out, along with the 
synonymy of the species described by me. And 
there was good reason for this simplification, seeing 
that we cannot have a complete list owing to the fact 
that fresh species are continually being added to 
it by the collectors; these species, new to the list, 
being mostly intruders or visitors found on the sub- 
tropical northern limits of the country. The original 
work (Argentine Ornithology) was thus out of date 
as soon as published, and the only interest it still 
retains for the reader is in the account of the birds’ 
habits contributed by me. The work thus being no 
longer what it was, or was intended to be, a different 
title had to be found, and I cannot think of a more 
suitable one than The Birds of La Plata, which 
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