VJii PREFACE. 



size between the diflferent species. The engraver has not 

 always been accurate in his reductions, but, in the main, the 

 idea has been carried out. 



The bibHography which was planned for publication here- 

 with was crowded out because of the vast amount of material 

 available for the work, which has resulted in increasing its 

 bulk beyond the limit at first contemplated, and which has 

 made necessary an abridgment of even the index; but the 

 names of authors, contributors and collectors are inserted in 

 the index because of the omission of the bibliography. 



What an embarrassment is that of the author who desires 

 to acknowledge his indebtedness to those who have gone 

 before! I am under obligations to many hundreds of indi- 

 viduals from the early explorers, like Champlain and Hudson, 

 down through the centuries to the ornithologists and sports- 

 men of the present day. A long list of the names of observ- 

 ers who have furnished information in regard to the commoner 

 species is presented on the last pages of this volume, and many 

 correspondents in many States whose names are not mentioned 

 there are gratefully remembered. The writings of Mr. Wil- 

 liam Brewster, Dr. C. W. Townsend and Dr. D. G. Elliot 

 have been exceedingly helpful, and those of many others have 

 furnished facts and suggestions. In this connection mention 

 should be made of a description of a flight of water-fowl in 

 " The Water-fowl Family," by Sanford, Bishop and Van Dyke, 

 which furnished the model for a similar description on page 

 4 of this volume. I am indebted particularly to my friends, 

 Mr. William Brewster and Dr. George W. Field, who have 

 kindly read brief parts of the manuscript, and more than I 

 can tell to my wife, who has patiently assisted in reading 

 manuscript and proof, and to Mr. Wilson H. Fay for his work 

 upon the index. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the courtesy 

 of the managements of Collier's Weekly, Forest and Stream and 

 Bird-Lore, who, with many others, have given permission to 

 quote or to use illustrations. Acknowledgments are due to Rev. 

 Herbert K. Job, Mr. Charlesworth Levy, Mr. Howard H. Cleaves 

 and others, whose names are mentioned elsewhere, for photo- 

 graphs. The Bureau of Biological Survey of the United 



