ARTICLE XV. A Revised List of the Birds of Massachusetts. By 

 J. A. ALLEN. 



TWENTY-TWO years have passed since the publication, in 1864, 

 of my first list of the birds of Massachusetts.* In 1870 I added 

 some supplementary notes, f and in 1878 published a new list of 

 the birds of the State,J revised to date. In the introduction to 

 this " List " I called attention to the fact that during the previous 

 ten years not less than thirty-four species had been added to the 

 avian fauna of the State. During the eight years which have 

 since elapsed twenty-two species have been added, many captures 

 of other rarities have been recorded, and much has been learned 

 respecting the mode of occurrence of many others, particularly 

 the off-shore aquatic species. Besides this, the nomenclature of 

 the subject has recently been greatly modified, and important 

 changes made in the method of classification. It seems, there- 

 fore, desirable to once more bring the subject down to date, where 

 it is my purpose to leave it to other and better hands. 



In the introduction to my 1878 " List," I gave a somewhat de- 

 tailed historical summary of the literature of Massachusetts 

 ornithology, tracing the gradual increase of our knowledge of the 

 subject from the date of Dr. Emmons's " Report," published in 

 1833, and containing the first formal list of the birds of the State, 

 to the year 1878. During this period the list of Massachusetts 

 birds increased from 160 species to 321. It is not necessary to 

 repeat this summary here; but a few words may be added in re- 

 spect to the more recent investigations. These relate mainly to 

 the sea-board, and the elevated region about Williamstown, and 

 include observations of great interest on many of the rarer 

 species. 



In 1878, in referring to the general subject of Massachusetts 

 ornithology, I mentioned the region west of the Connecticut Val- 

 ley as still presenting an inviting field for investigation, since it 

 was evident that many species must breed in its more elevated 



* Catalogue of the Birds found at Springfield. Mass., with Notes on their Migrations, Habits, 

 etc., together with a List of those Birds found in the State not yet observed at Springfield. 

 Proc. Essex Inst., Vol. IV, No. 2, pp. 48-98, July, 1864. 



t Notes on some of the Rarer Birds of Massachusetts. Amer. Nat., Vol. Ill, pp. 505-5191 

 568-585, 631-649, Dec. 1869, Jan. and Feb. 1870. 



t A List of the Birds of Massachusetts, with Annotations. Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. X, 1878, 

 PP- 3-37- 



[fitly, 1886.] 



