INTRODUCTION. 



THE majority of these notes appeared in the Rangoon Gazette and 

 were written with a hope that they might be a slight help to 

 those who take an interest in our common Birds and are now repub- 

 lished by the kind permission of the Editor of that Journal. 



I have tried to give a characteristic description by which the bird 

 may be recognised when seen, and have purposely omitted long 

 technical ones. For those who wish to go into the subject more 

 fully, I have given the names and numbers referring to the Fauna of 

 India, Birds, four volumes, by Mr. E. W. Gates and Dr. Blandford. 



Many of the birds mentioned are not exactly common, but it must 

 be remembered that those which are rare in some localities may be 

 common or plentiful in others. I have described the Pigeons more 

 fully, as they are omitted by all books on Game Birds, and as they are 

 more often shot by sportsmen, these notes may help them to identify 

 their bag. I have omitted the game and water birds as they have 

 several books devoted to themselves. 



From the number of new books which are published yearly at home 

 on our British Birds and from the numerous magazine articles, more 

 and "nore interest seems to be taken in our home Birds, whilst 

 out here, where the birds are more interesting both from their greater 

 variety and more beautiful colouring, hardly any notice seems to be 

 taken. 



And for those who find themselves in dull, monotonous, out-of-the- 

 way places, with no polo or shooting to beguile themselves or, when 

 on the march, I know of no pleasanter way to pass the time than 

 in watching and trying to recognise the various birds one sees and 

 hears, and it is astonishing the numbers there are if one only chooses 

 to listen and keep one's eyes open. 



At the end is given a distribution List of Birds recorded from 

 dilferent parts of Burma from which it will be seen how rich this 

 province is in its great variety of Bird life. These lists are by no 

 means complete, and it is hoped that others will collect and record 

 birds from other localities. 



BHAMO : 

 The /st December 1908 



H. H. H. 

 ' -) 



