vi INTRODUCTION'. 



with the observations of other Canadian field workers, and are 

 herewith handed to the public as a slight contribution to our Orni- 

 thology, and in the hope their their perusal will not only be an aid 

 to our young collectors in the identification of their specimens, 

 but will be the means of awakening a more lively interest in the 

 study of our Birds generally. 



Illustrations. — As a work of this kind unillustrated would be 

 but of litde service to our students or the public generally. I have, 

 after much consideration and no little experimenting, accomplished 

 this by photograph)-. Such a method, attempted even a few years 

 back, could not but have resulted in failure ; but, to-day, to such 

 perfection has this art been brought, that the pictures produced 

 by it are not only beautiful, but truthful to the most minute detail. 



Mr. Wm. Notman, of Montreal, to whom was first suggested 

 this method of illustrating the book, most kindly entered heart and 

 soul into the undertaking, and throughout the whole work has 

 afforded me every facility in his power, and has spared neither 

 material nor labor, in order to render the Plates satisfactory and 

 truthful to nature. I have only to add that his name to these is a 

 sufficient guarantee of their merit, and that any defect which may 

 exist is to be ascribed to my selection of the specimens. In this 

 last I have not chosen, in any case, rare, unusual, or particularly 

 beautiful plumaged individuals to represent the different species, 

 but rather common or t)'pical forms of these, male and female, 

 young and adult, or such as the collector and traveller would 

 most generally meet. 



Attitude and Form of tlie Birds figured. — These are points 

 requiring a great deal of attention in the photographing of stuffed 

 specimens, and respecting which I have already been brought to 

 task by a few of my naturalist friends to whom some of the Plates 

 were shown. My experience, however, among naturalists has 

 been that no two agree as touching any position which may be 

 chosen for a bird, and consequently no Plates, no matter how 

 perfectly executed, could please all. Besides, I have invariably 

 found that those who find most fault in this respect, are persons 

 who have been little on the fiicld themselves, or, in other words, 



