CHAPTER I. 



EXPOSITION OF THE TECHNICAL TERMS USED BY ORNITHOLOGISTS. 



ITHOUT a cursory knowledge, at least, of 

 the technical terms employed by Orni- 

 thologists in their delineations of the 

 feathered race, we cannot expect all our 

 readers to understand or appreciate the 

 scientific descriptions which we have in- 

 serted of the game-birds of our country; 

 it therefore appears to us that we cannot 

 do better than devote the first few pages 

 of this volume to the full elucidation of 

 these appellatives, which, in fact, are the A B C of Ornithology, 



the Alpha and Omega of the branch. 



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