PREFACE 



TWENTY years ago, when the Birds of Europe was nearing 

 its end, I thought of issuing a similar work on the Birds of 

 Northern Asia, in order to furnish a complete account of the 

 Ornithology of the Palsearctic Region. It seemed, however, 

 that I could not expect to obtain for my project the support 

 of a sufficient number of subscribers to save me from serious 

 pecuniary loss, and with much regret the project had to be 

 abandoned. I have since been urged by many friends to bring 

 out a Handbook of European Birds, of a size, and at a price, 

 which would be convenient to travellers and field-naturalists 

 the latter being a class of persons with whom, for the sake of 

 old associations, when I counted myself one of them, I have still 

 the greatest sympathy. Bearing in mind, however, my former 

 desire to treat of the Birds of Northern Asia, and knowing 

 how non-existent is any physical barrier between the Eastern 

 and Western portions of the Palsearctic area, I have thought it 

 expedient not to limit the present Manual to European species, 

 even with the addition of those of Barbary and the Atlantic 

 Islands (Madeira, Canaries, and Azores). 



There is admittedly little difficulty in laying down the 

 southern frontier of this area in Africa, since the Great Desert 

 forms a natural boundary, but the southern limits in Asia are 

 less easily defined. I suppose these to run to the northward of 

 the Arabian Desert, and including the tableland of Persia, the 

 highlands of Baluchistan, the whole of Afghanistan, and the 



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