INTRODUCTION. 
In the present work the authors have tried to bring together 
into convenient and permanent form all the material published on 
Massachusetts birds up to the date of the publication of this work ; 
as well as to add as much original matter as possible, both gener- 
ously supplied from outside sources, and from our personal obser- 
vations. Since about 1833 Massachusetts has been a centre of 
ornithological work, and the literature on Massachusetts birds 
probably exceeds the ornithological literature of almost any other 
state in the Union. ‘The authors therefore ask the indulgence of 
their readers, as their task has been a very difficult one, and omis- 
sions, as well as errors may have crept in inadvertently. 
The plan adopted has been to offer, after a careful discussion of 
Topography and Faunal Areas, an Annotated List which first gives 
the status of each species, then the dates of arrival and departure 
of species in Massachusetts, followed by annotations taken from 
already published local lists of importance, and others supplied 
by trustworthy ornithologists from desirable localities, especially 
along the coast. The counties of the State, therefore, all save four, 
Franklin, Suffolk, Plymouth and Barnstable, have lists from one or 
more towns in them, or of the county as a whole, vz. — Berkshire 
County list; Hampshire: Amherst; Hampden: Springfield ; 
Worcester: Templeton; Middlesex: Cambridge, vicinity of Wel- 
lesley; Norfolk: Brookline, Dedham, Cohasset; Essex County 
list and Ipswich; Bristol County list; Dukes: Martha’s Vine- 
yard; Nantucket County list. Individuals, therefore, working in 
restricted portions of this topographically varied State, will have, in 
many cases, annotations applicable to their particular region. 
The Annotated List is followed by Lists of Extinct and Extirpated 
Species, Introduced Species, Species Erroneously Recorded, and 
of Apocryphal Species. The Bibliography contains only the lists 
published exclusively on Massachusetts birds. All original records, 
and other published notes of especial interest are cited as foot- 
notes in the text itself. The work is completed with two 
Indexes, one of Scientific, and one of Vernacular Names. 
