In Pireparation 



A NEW AND REVISED EDITION OP 

 YARRELL, NEWTON, AND SAUNDERS' 



History of British Birds 



EDITED BY 



WILLIAM EAGLE CLARKE, F.R.S.E., F.L.S. 



Keeper of the Natural History Department, The Royal Scottish Museum; Member of the 



British Association Committee on the Migration of Birds as Observed on the British 



and Irish Coasts; Corresponding Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union; 



Correspondirender Mitglied des Ornithologischen Vereins in Wien ; 



Mcmbre Honoraire du Bureau Central Ornithologique Hongrois ; 



Member of the British Ornithologists' Union, etc. 



ILLUSTRATED BY ORIGINAL COLOURED PLATES OF EACH SPECIES 

 SPECIALLY EXECUTED BY 



MISS LILIAN MEDLAND 



THE publication of Yarrell's "History of British Birds" was 

 commenced in 1837 and completed in 1843. Its outstanding 

 merits were at once recognised, and a Second Edition was 

 called for in 1845, followed by a third in 1856. 



From the issue of the Original Edition down to the present 

 day, Yarrell's "History of British Birds" has generally and 

 deservedly been regarded as the standard authority on British 

 ornithology. 



In the year 1871 a Fourth Edition was begun, under the 

 masterly editorship of Professor Newton— the greatest British 

 ornithologist of all time. Unfortunately Professor Newton's 

 official engagements at the University of Cambridge only allowed 

 him to complete the first two volumes; and in 1882 Mr Howard 

 Saunders was selected to edit the remaining volumes, a task 

 which he successfully accomplished to the entire satisfaction of 

 ornithologists in 1885. 



The many excellences of this last edition advanced the work 

 more than ever in the public and in scientific favour. To its 

 stimulating influence is to be mainly attributed the marvellous and 

 unprecedented activity which has resulted in those extraordinary 

 advances made in all branches of British ornithology during 

 recent years— advances which have rendered it essential that a 

 new work based upon this classical and comprehensive founda- 

 tion should be issued. 



During the period alluded to, a considerable number of new 

 and interesting species have been added to our avifauna. The 



[Continued on Pa^o 3 of Cover 



