PREFACE. 



THE first edition of " THE BIRDS OF ONTARIO " had its origin in the 

 Hamilton Association, a local scientific society of which I am one of 

 the oldest members. 



In the spring of 1885, I read the introductory part of this book as 

 a paper at one of the ordinary meetings. So few people devote any 

 time to the study of Ornithology, that the subject was quite new to 

 the Association, and, at the request of those present, I afterwards 

 supplemented the paper with a record of the names of all the birds 

 observed during my excursions near the city. By giving a technical 

 description of each, I hoped to enable anyone desirous of pursuing 

 the study to identify those birds likely to be found in the same 

 district. The whole was- subsequently published in book form by 

 the Association, under the name of "The Birds of Ontario." Each 

 member received a copy, and the balance of the issue was placed 

 in the hands of the booksellers, but the number published was 

 limited, 'and the book is now entirely out of the market. 



The kind reception of the first edition by the public, and the 

 numerous inquiries which have recently been made for copies of the 

 book, have induced me to prepare this second edition, which I hope 

 may be equally fortunate in meeting with public favor. 



In the first edition the accounts of the birds were, to a great 

 extent, the result of my own observations made in the vicinity of 

 Hamilton, where I have resided for the past forty years. Nearly all 

 of our native birds being migratory, the record given of each species 

 was necessarily incomplete. Some were mentioned as winter visitors, 

 others as summer residents, and a numerous class as spring and 

 autumn migrants, visiting southern Ontario on their annual journey 

 to and from their breeding places farther north. 



In the present edition, it has been my object to place on record, 

 as far as possible, the name of every bird that has been observed in 

 Ontario ; to show how the different species are distributed through- 

 out the Province; and, especially, to tell where they spend the 

 breeding season. To do this, I have had to refer to the notes of 



