Introduction. 5 



have often had occasion to quote from 

 various charming books of sport, too 

 numerous to be mentioned here, but 

 which are duly acknowledged in the 

 following pages. 



Since the first part of this work was 

 published, Dr. Blanford has issued the 

 fourth and concluding volume of the 

 Birds in the " Fauna of British India." 

 This treats not only of the Game Birds, 

 but of many other birds which are of 

 special interest to the sportsman, but 

 which do not enter into the scope of this 

 smaller and more restricted Manual. The 

 sportsman who wishes to do more than 

 merely identify the species he meets with 

 will do well to study Dr. Blanford's volume 

 and acquaint himself with the many in- 

 teresting details of the anatomy and 

 classification of the Indian Game Birds 

 which would be out of place in this 

 Manual. 



My obligations to Messrs. Hume and 

 Marshall cannot be overestimated. Their 

 descriptions of the habits of the Water 

 Birds, so far as these, in the case of so 

 many of the Ducks and Snipes, can be 

 observed in India, are so complete that 

 little can be added to them. I have laid 

 their work largely under contribution. 



