PEEFACE. 



TJie pioneer in American ornithology 

 was Alexander Wilson, a Scotch weaver 

 and poet, who emigrated to this country in 

 1794, and began the publication of his 

 great work upon our birds in 1808. He 

 figured and described three hundred and 

 twenty species, fifty-six of them new to 

 science. His death occurred in 1813, be- 

 fore the publication of his work had been 

 completed. 



But the chief of American ornithologists 

 was John James Audubon. Audubon did 

 not begin where Wilson left off. He was 

 also a pioneer, beginning his studies and 

 drawings of the birds probably as early as 

 Wilson did his, but he planned larger and 

 lived longer. He spent the greater part of 

 his long life in the pursuit of ornithology, 

 and was of a more versatile, flexible, and 

 artistic nature than was Wilson. He was 

 collecting the material for his work at the 

 same time that Wilson was collecting his, 



