VIII 



Those closet JNaturalists, who study altogether from dried 

 specimens, are merely theorists. Such a course may serve to 

 amuse the student who is content with acquiring only the classifi- 

 cation of this beautiful and highly interesting part of the animal 

 creation, of the habits and abode of which, he knows nothing 

 practically; to such, the poetry of Ornithology is entirely lost. 

 The descriptions of plumage I have taken from a collection now 

 before me, comprising, with but few exceptions, all those species 

 figured by Mr. Audubon in his great, and to our country, highly 

 creditable work on the " Birds of America," the majority of 

 the species having been procured by my own hand. Should I, 

 from the plain manner in which I have endeavored to point out the 

 specific characters of those procured on Long Island, as well as,^ 

 by placing within reacli of those who are in daily use of the 

 gun, a simple Book of Reference, be instrumental in adding to 

 our already large Fauna, or acquire a further knowledge of the 

 habits of those species which with us are but little known, the pur- 

 pose of the writer will be accomplished. 



In preparing a list of the Birds of Long Island, I have stu- 

 diously avoided introducing any species that I have not met with, 

 or received from the very best authority an intimation of its occur- 

 rence in our locality. In speaking of the migrations and habits 

 of species for which my opportunities for observation have been very 

 limited, I have had recourse to the works of various authors, none 

 of which have been more closely consulted than the highly instruc- 

 tive pages of Wilson and Audubon. In comparing specimens in 

 various stages of plumage, I have enjoyed the privilege of the 

 valuable Cabinets of Messrs. Bell, Lawrence, and Brasher, who, 

 from their Ornithological acquirements, as well as their acquaint- 

 ance with the locality with which we are engaged, have contribut- 

 ed much valuable information. J. P. GIRAUD, Jk. 

 New-York, June, 1843. 



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