ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



INTRODUCTION. 



AS I have generally adopted, in the present volume, the 

 system of classification, and the nomenclature, &c., 

 presented by Professor Baird in his report on the Birds of 

 North America, I will state here, that I have given, so far 

 as possible, his own remarks in the explanations of the 

 characteristics of the different orders, families, genera, &c., 

 because they are expressed in the most concise and com- 

 prehensive language possible. I have also given the same 

 descriptions of the species as those contained in the above- 

 mentioned report, because, being made from a much greater 

 number of specimens than I could possibly have access 

 to, they are certainly better than I could present from 

 my own observations. The descriptions of the character- 

 istics of the Raptores, the Grrallce, and the Alcidce, are by 

 John Cassin, of Philadelphia; those of the Longipennes 

 Totipalmes and Colymbidce were written by Mr. George N. 

 Lawrence, of New York ; those of the other birds were 

 prepared by Professor Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian 

 Institute. 



In order that the descriptions of the birds in the follow- 



[1] 



