PREFACE.. xi 



Beal ; Mr. E. O. Reid, Newcastle ; Mr. Thomas 

 Lambert, Cullercoats ; and numerous others, in- 

 cluding landowners, farmers, gamekeepers, etc., for 

 kindly assistance during a number of years past. 

 Mr. Charles Xavier Sykes, journalist, Newcastle, 

 has also aided me in preparing the matter for the 

 printers. But special thanks are due to the pro- 

 prietor of the Weekly Chronicle (Mr. Joseph Cowen), 

 and in a minor degree to the editor of that journal 

 (Mr. W. E. Adams), without whose cordial coun- 

 tenance and aid this work could not have been 

 produced. 



During the compilation of the descriptive notes, I 

 have had occasion to make extracts from volumes 

 written by the following admitted authorities in the 

 ornithological world : Charles Dixon ; the late Henry 

 Seebohm ; James Backhouse, Jun., F.Z.S. ; Howard 

 Saunders, F.L.S. ; R. Bowdler Sharp, LL.D. ; H. 

 Kirke Swann ; Richard Lydekker, B.A.; Dr. P. M. 

 Duncan, F.R.S.; the late Herr Gatke ; the Rev. 

 H. A. Macpherson, M.A.; and others. 



Lastly, I must acknowledge my great indebtedness 

 to Mr. Charles Dixon, author of The Migration of 

 Birds, etc., etc., who, in addition to aiding me in 

 many ways, has revised all the proof-sheets of this 

 work. 



JOHN DUNCAN. 



MONKSEATON, NORTHUMBERLAND, 



August 1898. 



