AMERICAN EDITOR'S PREFACE. 



further contribution to the natural history of this interesting 

 bird ; and he may not impossibly be thus stimulated to enter 

 upon original investigations. Should he differ with his author 

 in any particulars, the interesting question would be raised, how 

 far the domestic economy of the bird has been modified under 

 the new conditions of its transplantation. Any single instance 

 like this may be made, at the hands of an earnest and enthu- 

 siastic student, a means to the end of most important problems 

 in natural history — like Huxley's Crayfish, already become so 

 famous an illustration of the broadest principles of biological 

 science. 



Again, let the reader take up one of the histories of some 

 species entirely unknown to him — say the Song-Thrush or the 

 Missel-Thrush of England — and read carefully what his author 

 has to say of these birds. He scarcely needs to be informed of 

 the fact that we recognize in ornithology what are called " rep- 

 resentative species ; " that is, species of one country which take 

 the place of, correspond to, or otherwise represent more or less 

 closely allied species of another country. Having found out 

 what Mr. Dixon knows of the Song- Or Missel-Thrush, let him 

 ask himself the question, " Do I know as much as this about 

 the Wood-Thrush or the Hermit-Thrush of my own country? 

 Could I give as complete an account of their habits?" 



The point is very clear, — Mr. Dixon's book is nothing if not 

 original. I have seldom examined a treatise composed of 

 fresher material, or one relying less upon the authority of other 

 writers. This is marked merit for the days when one of the 

 chief uses of books seems to be to breed books, and when 

 writers in ornithology spend in their libraries much time that 

 might be better spent in the field, and devote more attentioa 



