6 



first formal list of the birds of the state was prepared by 

 Dr. Ebenezer Emmons, and published in 1833 in Prof. 

 Hitchcock's "Report on the Geology, Mineralogy, Botany, 

 and Zoology of Massachusetts" (pp. 545-551). This 

 contained one hundred and sixty species, all but two of 

 which were valid. Excluding the two synonyms, all but 

 one (Rhynchops nigra) have since been confirmed as 

 inhabitants of the state. The list was only very spar- 

 ingly annotated, but symbols were employed to indicate 

 whether the species were rare or common, resident or 

 migratory, or whether known to breed in the state. This 

 list, so far as it goes, is remarkably free from errors. 



The same year (1833) Mr. Thomas Nuttall published 

 a paper (written, it appears, in 1831) in the "Memoirs of 

 the American Academy of Arts and Sciences" (2d Ser., 

 I, pp. 91-106), entitled "Remarks and Inquiries concern- 

 ing the Birds of Massachusetts," in which he added six 

 valid, and three nominal, species to those mentioned by 

 Dr. Emmons. 



Four years later (in 1837) Dr. T. M. Brewer contrib- 

 uted to the "Boston Journal of Natural History" (I, pp. 

 435-439) a paper having the title "Some Additions to 

 the Catalogue of the Birds of Massachusetts in Prof. 

 Hitchcock's Report, etc." These additions comprised 

 nominally forty-five species, about one-third of which 

 were given on the authority of Audubon and Nuttall, and 

 a number of others were included inferentially or on evi- 

 dence of a somewhat traditional character. Three had 

 been given (under other names) by Dr. Emmons, and 

 two still lack confirmation as birds of the state. Only 

 thirty-four were thus added to the number previously 

 recorded by Nuttall and Emmons, raising the number 

 at this time known to inhabit the state to one hundred 

 and ninety-seven. 



