PREFACE. IX 



Mr. C. Allan Lyford has given valuable assistance in taking 

 photographs illustrating bird feeding, nesting boxes, etc. 

 The author is also greatly indebted to Messrs. C. A. and 

 C. K. Reed for the use of half-tone plates from American 

 Ornithology ; to Mr. Frank M. Chapman, the Massachusetts 

 Commission on Fisheries and Game, Mr. A. C. Dike, and 

 others, to whom credit is given in the text or captions, for 

 the use of photographs, half-tone plates, or cuts ; and to 

 Messrs. William Brewster and Ralph Holman for the use of 

 bird skins. Plates VI. and VII. are from E. A. Samuels. 



The credit for the publication of this volume rightly be- 

 lonsrs to the State Board of Ao-riculture, which, through its 

 secretary, introduced and advocated the resolve providing 

 for preparing and printing ; to the Massachusetts Audubon 

 Society, which supported the resolve before the Legislature ; 

 to the various associations, officials, and friends who upheld 

 the resolve ; and to those members of the House and Senate 

 who were instrumental in securing the appropriation which 

 made possible the production of the report. For its many 

 shortcomings the author alone is responsible. 



