PREFACE. XI 



from friends like Mr. Robert Read, Mr. E. W. De Winton, 

 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie Grant, Mr. A. Trevor-Battye, Mr. Abel 

 Chapman, and other kind helpers, but I have taken most of 

 my quotations on the habits of birds from Seebohm's well- 

 known history. I knew Seebohm intimately for many years, 

 and accompanied him to Heligoland, and other places on 

 the continent of Europe, and I can testify to the keenness 

 with which he laboured to try and collect facts for his 

 " History of British Birds." Of his ideas of " Classification," 

 and how his facts were obtained for the demonstration of his 

 Systems, this is not the place to speak, though I should like 

 to take this opportunity of repudiating the idea that in my 

 Classification of birds, published in 1891, I was a " disciple" 

 of Seebohm's, as Professor Newton (Diet. B. Intr. p. 103, note) 

 has lately suggested ; for a considerable portion of my essay 

 is devoted to the exposure of what I consider to be errors on 

 Seebohm's part. I have not detected any plagiarism in the 

 latter's " History of British Birds," but, on the contrary, from 

 my knowledge of his method of work in the field, and the 

 ample diaries which he kept on those occasions, I believe that 

 his notes on the habits of birds are more original than those 

 in any other English publications except, perhaps, those of 

 Macgillivray and Booth. 



I cannot conclude this preface without acknowledging, with 

 the utmost sincerity, the kind help and advice which I have 

 received from my old friend Howard Saunders, without 

 whose assistance I should never have had the courage to 

 undertake such a laborious and tedious occupation as the pre- 

 paration of even a small book like this " Handbook " has proved 

 to be. I can only hope that its utility may be found in some 

 way to compensate for the labour involved in its preparation. 



R. BOWDLER SHARPE. 



Chiswick, March 10, 1897. 



