2 PREFACE. 
as well as those of nomenclature, making the call for a re- 
vision all the more imperative. The changes in the physical 
features incident to the fuller settlement of the state have 
been attended by changes in the whole fauna, the bird pop- 
ulation changing with the rest. 
Keenly feeling the need for a state catalogue of our birds 
which should embody the latest results of field work and 
conform to the adopted system of nomenclature, the writer 
appealed to the Ohio State Academy of Science, at its meet- 
ing in December, 1900, and found ready sympathy in the 
plan for a revision. A liberal portion of the McMillin fund 
was placed at his disposal for the purpose of prosecuting 
the work, and it is largely that substantial help which makes 
it possible to present the finished report at this early date. 
With this fund it was possible to mail upward of two hun- 
dred lists of birds of probable occurrence to different parts of 
the state for reports from local bird students, and to visit 
several little known regions of the state for the purpose of 
studying the bird fauna there at first hand. A list of those 
who kindly contributed notes and who gave other assistance 
will be found elsewhere. 
The nomenclature adopted in this Catalogue conforms to 
that of the American Ornithologists’ Union Check-List, Sec- 
ond Edition and Supplements succeeding. While this sys- 
tem is not free from faults, and while another revision seems 
imminent, it is not within the province of this catalogue to 
anticipate much of such revision. Some questions relating 
to the validity of species and subspecies which occur in Ohio 
await settlement. In these few cases I have been obliged to 
use my best judgment respecting the questions at issue. If 
that judgment proves unsound I trust that the reader will 
consider the limitations of time and material under which I 
am obliged to complete this work. 
