which breed within 50 miles of New York City. It is labeled on 

 the same plan as the local collection of birds. 



In order that the student may know the names of all the birds 

 which have been found here, the following annotated list of the 

 species known to occur within a radius of 50 miles of New York 

 City is presented. It is based on information derived for the 

 most part from three sources: (i) previously published records; 

 (2) the author's notes covering a period of ten years' intermittent 

 observation, mainly at Englewood, N. J.; (3) information received 

 from Mr. William Dutcher. For the past 15 years Mr. Dutcher 

 has made a specialty of the study of Long Island birds and has 

 brought together a vast amount of data concerning them. He 

 has kindly revised the manuscript of this Guide, thereby adding 

 largely to its accuracy. 



The excellent cuts with which this Guide is illustrated are 

 from Coues's 'Key to North American Birds.' For their use the 

 Museum is indebted to Messrs. Estes and Lauriat the publishers 

 of that work. The full-page plates were used in Dr. Shufeldt's 

 recent memoir on 'Scientific Taxidermy'. They are printed from 

 electrotypes kindly furnished us by the United States National 

 Museum. 



The region embraced within our limits possesses natural 

 advantages calculated to attract a great number of birds. Our 

 sea-coast, with its sandy beaches and shallow bays; our rivers, 

 creeks and ponds, with their surrounding grassy marshes; our 

 wooded hillsides and valleys; our rolling uplands ( and fertile 

 meadows, offer haunts suited to the wants of most birds. Again, 

 our coast-line and the Hudson River Valley form natural highways 

 of migration regularly followed by birds in their journeys to and 

 from their summer homes. 



But the exceptional abundance of birds in this vicinity is not 

 due alone to the varied character of the country, or to the fact 

 that twice each year streams of migrants pass along our coasts and 

 through our valleys. There are certain causes which tend to limit 

 the ranges of animals. Chief among these is temperature. A 

 study of the ranges or habitats of animals and plants shows that 

 the boundaries of the habitats of many species coincide with one 

 another and also to a greater or less extent with lines of equal 

 temperature. The ranges of these species being thus governed 

 by natural causes are taken as indices of the limits of faunas or 

 natural life-areas. The lines between these faunas cannot, of 



