VI PREFACE. 



crease necessitating an amount of research, and the careful 

 sifting of a mass of information, unknown to the original 

 Author. The advantages undoubtedly counterbalance the 

 drawbacks, but it must be confessed that the latter are con- 

 siderable. 



It is not within my province to consider the advisability 

 of publishing under the honoured name of Yarrell a work 

 which must necessarily be, to a great extent, rewritten ; but 

 my portion of the task, once accepted, has been performed 

 to the best of my ability. Where practicable, the original 

 phraseology has been followed, with due modifications ; the 

 opening words of the sentences have frequently been pre- 

 served, as ' landmarks ' for possessors of former Editions ; 

 and extracts from the authors and correspondents quoted by 

 Yarrell have been retained, subject to considerations of space, 

 relevancy, and accuracy. This work of selection and adapta- 

 tion has entailed severe labour, and, as a matter of fact, the 

 original articles on the species added to the British list since 

 the publication of the Third Edition, are those which have 

 given the least trouble. 



The many completed works on ornithology of which I 

 have availed myself are mentioned from time to time in 

 these volumes, and if the enumeration is re-commenced, it 

 will be difficult to say where to stop. I can, however, 

 acknowledge most of them collectively by expressing my 

 obligations to that pre-eminent compilation, Mr. H. E. 

 Dresser's * Birds of Europe,' a work which has materially 

 lightened my labours. Again, Mr. J. E. Harting kindly 

 placed at my disposal the annotated copy of his useful 

 ' Handbook of British Birds,' with several volumes of notes 

 and extracts ; and on all sides assistance has been freely 

 proffered. The completion of the work within the appointed 

 time is largely owing to the co-operation of numerous friends 

 and correspondents who sent notes, rare books, and speci- 

 mens, looked over proofs, and answered questions (some- 

 times by telegraph), with the utmost cheerfulness and 

 promptitude. My thanks are especially due to Major H. W. 

 Feilden, Messrs. E. Bidwell, F. Bond the Nestor of British 



