I desire to express thus publicly my gratitude to. my 

 collaborators for the prompt and generous manner in which 

 they have responded to my requests for contributions to 

 this work. For any one man to produce a book of the 

 scope and size of this, would require the work of many years, 

 and then it could not be so complete as this. It is only 

 by the hearty and sympathetic cooperation of such ardent 

 sportsmen, trained naturalists, and big-hearted men as those 

 composing my staff, that so comprehensive and valuable 

 a work as this is possible. They have done the world a 

 service o^ great and lasting value, and one for which all 

 lovers of nature should feel as grateful to them as does 



THE EDITOK. 



CHICAGO, May, 1890. 



550709 



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