Ag 2 IN DDE SS 9 Be 
MATERIAL 
FOR A 
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS. 
PREPARED BY THEODORE GILL AND ELLIOTT COUES. 
Several years have passed since a Bibliography of North American Mammals was begun by Dr. 
Gill, and continued with the codperation of Dr. Coues. The design was to make it as complete as could 
be reasonably expected, and to include (a) all works and papers on Mammalia at large published in 
North America, () all works and papers, wherever published, relating to North American Mammals, 
and (¢) such general works or collateral special papers as bear more or less directly upon the subject, 
Pressure of other engageménts upon each of the authors, however, obliged them to suspend the work in 
1574, and the material now published represents simply the progress they had made at that date toward 
the completion of their plan. The Bibliography is therefore not supposed to be brought beyond 1874, 
when systematic compilation of titles was abandoned, although a number of titles of later date havo 
been collated by one of the authors during his preparation of the index-slips for the press. In the full- 
est sense of the term, this compilation is only ‘“‘ material” for a Bibliography ; the compilers are fully cog- 
nizant of its defects, and no criticism could be more seyere than that which they themselves would pass 
upon it. But even in its present state, the Bibliography is much more extensive than any hitherto 
prepared ; itis published in connection with these Monographs of by far the largest order of Mammalia, 
that the material which it represents may at length become available for all those who are working upon 
North American Mammalogy; and it is believed that it will be very useful to all who duly regard the 
purport of this explanatory note. 4 
The titles are arranged in chronological order under a few heads. The first set consists of general 
and miscellaneous publications on Mammals at large; the second of faunal publications, or those relating 
to the Mammals of particular geographical areas; while the remaining sets are those of orders or sub- 
orders of the Mammalia. The Bibliography of American publications is believed to be very nearly complete 
down to 1874 inclusive; in other respects, the work is very imperfect. Many of the titles, especially the 
foreign ones, are taken at second hand, and those which have not been verified may not be found to be 
literally correct. The titles of many of the general works are not given in full. 
A considerable part of the Bibliography—that relating to ceveral of the families of the Roden- 
tia—has already been presented on earlier pages of this volume, and such titles are not here duplicated. 
In the labor of preparing this matter for the press, which has devolved upon Dr. Cones, much 
assistance has been rendered by Mr. Allen, who has kindly revised the proofs, adding some titles, and 
making many valuable suggestions. Very great assistance has also been rendered by Mr. William Young, 
the accomplished proof-reader of the Government Printing Office, to whom special thanks are due for 
his valuable services in securing accurate typography, and in perfecting the arrangement of the titles. 
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