PREFACE 



If this book is accepted for what it is intended 

 to be, and is not judged by standards justly 

 applicable to more ambitious undertakings, 

 it may be found a useful aid to those wishing 

 to become familiar with the Canal Zone birds. 

 If it does this, I shall feel that it has accom- 

 plished its purpose. 



As it is intended for those without a scien- 

 tific knowledge of ornithology, technical lan- 

 guage has been avoided. The descriptions 

 have been prepared with regard to the wants 

 of the bird student or bird lover who studies 

 the birds in the field and forest, not those of a 

 bird collector. The large number of species 

 to be dealt with has made very brief descrip- 

 tions necessary, and while it is hoped they 

 will be sufficient to distinguish the Canal 

 Zone species from each other, they will not 

 always bring out the differences that separate 

 them from related species and subspecies of 

 other countries. But that is not essential to 

 the purpose of this book. 



While I have drawn freely from information 

 given by a number of authors, I wish to 

 acknowledge especial indebtedness to Ridg- 

 way's great work, "The Birds of North and 

 Middle America." Among other works which 

 have been of the most service, I would men- 

 tion especially the comparatively recent lists 

 of Witmer Stone, " Birds of the Panama 

 Canal Zone with Special Reference to a Col- 

 lection made by Lindsay A. Jewel," Pro- 

 ceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia, 1918, pp. 239-280;* Thomas 



* Stone's list above referred to, is of especial usefulness 

 as it includes all birds recorded from the Canal Zone up to 



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