INTRODUCTION. 



rpHE present volume of Game-birds is the second of the 

 Series which it is proposed to bring out, the first 

 bavins; been devoted to tlie Swans, Geese and Duck. 



^t> 



It contains the Snipes, Bustards and Sand-Grouse, and 

 further vokimes will deal with the Hemipodes or Bustard 

 Quail, Megapodes, Pheasants and Partridges. 



The contents of this volume have already appeared in 

 the pages of the Bombay Natural History Society's Journal 

 and but for the war and the resulting dislocation of all work, 

 would long ago have come out in book form. The delay, 

 though unfortunate in some respects, has enabled me to 

 bring the contents more completely up to date than would 

 otherwise have been the case, and it is hoped that the 

 future will not bring to light much more in the way of 

 forgotten names and further alterations. 



The many changes which have been necessitated by 

 discoveries in nomenclature since the original articles were 

 written, have been all adopted in so far as specific names 

 are concerned, but the question of the retention of genera 

 or the addition to, or reduction of, their number has been 

 treated almost entirely from the point of view of convenience. 



