viii EDITOR'S PREFACE. 



Librarian F. Thomae, University Library of Tubingen, 

 writes that the only work on bird music known to him 

 is Landois's " Thierstimmen." Dr. Euss, of Berlin, writes 

 a little more encouragingly, saying that there are a few 

 notations of bird-songs scattered through " Die gefiederte 

 Welt," a periodical at present under his direction. After 

 this report from music-loving, nature-loving, studious 

 Germany, there is little hope of help elsewhere. 



The editor, no more of an ornithologist and much less 

 of a musician than the author, cannot hope that he has 

 steered clear of error; he hopes only for the general 

 judgment that the work were better done crudely than 

 not at all. A most grateful acknowledgment is made 

 to the many authors, editors, publishers, and proprietors 

 whose names appear, in connection with their several 

 contributions, in the index and in the list at the end of 

 the volume. 



JOHN VANCE CHENEY. 

 SAN FRANCISCO, 



December 29, 1891. 



