PREFACE. ix 



Mr. C. Allan Lyford has ffiveii valuable assistance in takinof 

 photographs illustrating bird feeding, nesting boxes, etc. 

 The author is also greatly indebted to Messrs. C. A. and 

 C. K. Reed for the use of half-tone plates from American 

 Ornithology ; to Mr. Frank M. Chapman, the Massachusetts 

 Conunission on Fisheries and Game, Mr. A. C. Dike, and 

 others, to whom credit is given in the text or captions, for 

 the use of photographs, half-tone plates, or cuts ; and to 

 Messrs. AYilliam Brewster and Ralph Holman for the use of 

 bird skins. Plates VI. and \MI. are from E. A. Samuels. 



The credit for the i)ublication of this volume rightly be- 

 longs to the State Board of Agriculture, which, through its 

 secretary, introduced and advocated the resolve providing 

 for preparing and printing ; to the Massachusetts Audubon 

 Society, which supported the resolve before the Legislature ; 

 to the various associations, officials, and friends who upheld 

 the resolve ; and to those members of the House and Senate 

 Avho were instrumental in securing the appropriation Avhich 

 made possible the production of th(^ report. For its many 

 shortcomings the author alone is responsible. 



