PREFATORY NOTE V 



in their homes may urge the student to go on 

 and gain for himself the delights of a deeper 

 study of birds. 



In the preparation of the Keys for this book, I 

 have been largely helped by my brother, Dr. C. 

 Hart Merriam ; and at other points have been 

 kindly assisted by Miss Isabel Eaton, Mrs. G. C. 

 Maynard, Mr. Robert Ridgway, Mr. Frank M. 

 Chapman, Mr. John H. Sage, Dr. A. K. Fisher, 

 Dr. T. S. Palmer, Prof. F. E. L. Beal, and Mr. 

 Sylvester Judd. The ranges given are from 

 Chapman's Handbook, with additional notes by 

 Dr. A. K. Fisher; the measurements are taken 

 from the Handbook, but are given in round num- 

 bers of quarter inches. Of the migration and 

 winter bird lists (see Appendix, pp. 369-379), 

 the Washington ones have been kindly made by 

 Mr. William Palmer ; the St. Louis migration list 

 has been compiled from notes by Mr. Otto Wid- 

 mann in the files of the Biological Survey ; and 

 the Portland lists, together with that of birds 

 known to nest in Portland, have been kindly 

 supplied by Mr. John H. Sage. 



The pictures of birds are from drawings by 

 Ernest Seton Thompson, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, 

 and John L. Ridgway. For the use of drawings 



