INTRODUCTION 



The monumental work undertaken and so ably begun by Maj. 

 Charles E. Bendire has remained unfinished, and no additional 

 volumes have been published since his death. In 1910 the author 

 undertook to continue the work and began to gather material for 

 it with the cooperation of American ornithologists. The following 

 well-known ornithologists offered to help in gathering material from 

 their several sections of the country: Harold H. Bailey, Walter B. 

 Barrows, Allan Brooks, Earle A. Brooks, William L. Finley, Ben- 

 jamin T. Gault, A. Brazier Howell, Lynds Jones, Elmer T. Judd, 

 Charles R. Keyes, Arthur H. Norton, Putnam B. Peabody, T. Gilbert 

 Pearson, Charles J. Pennock, Walter W. Perrett, Samuel F. Rathbun, 

 Thomas S. Roberts, Aretas A. Saunders, William E. Saunders, 

 Witmer Stone, Myron H. Swenk, Charles W. Townsend, Edward R. 

 Warren, and Arthur T. Wayne. 



The Biological Survey of the Department of Agriculture, at 

 Washington, very kindly placed at my disposal its matchless biblio- 

 graphical index to published material on North American birds, 

 and a mass of references were carefully copied by Mr. Edward A. 

 Preble. With this and the author's private index as guides nearly 

 every publication of importance relating to North American birds 

 has been consulted. 



While the scope of the work was originally intended to cover sub- 

 stantially the same ground covered by Maj. Bendire 's work and 

 in practically the same manner, it has since seemed best to some- 

 what enlarge its scope and to cover more ground, with the differ- 

 ent phases of the life histories arranged in a more definite and uni- 

 form sequence, so that the reader may more readily find the parts 

 in which he is interested. 



The classification and nomenclature adopted by the American 

 Ornithologists' Union in its Check List have been strictly followed, 

 regardless of the author's views on the status of certain species and 

 subspecies; as this is not a work on systematic ornithology, it has 

 seemed best to merely refer to these views briefly in the text and not 

 attempt to discuss them fully. 



The main breeding and winter ranges are as accurately outlined 

 as limited space will permit; the normal migrations are given in 

 sufficient detail to indicate the usual movements of each species; 

 it is obviously impossible to give, in a general work of such large 

 scope, all records of occurrence and all dates and no pretense at 

 perfection in this direction is claimed. Many published records, 



