CHAPTER I. 



EXPOSITION OF THE TECHNICAL TERMS USED BY ORNITHOLOGISTS. 



ITHOUT a cursory knowledge, at least, of 



the technical terms employed by Orni- 



It thologists in their delineations of the 



^ feathered race, we cannot expect all our 



i 



readers to understand or appreciate the 



*V 5^„ scientific descriptions which we have in- 



K serted of the game-birds of our country; 



it therefore appears to us that we cannot 



^i^^^- do better than devote the first few pages 



of this volume to the full elucidation of 



these appellatives, which, in fact, are the ABC of Ornithology, 



the Alpha and Omega of the branch. 



