PRE/ ACE. 



VII 



tinp^ a few species and those mainly amonp^ the Ptarmi- 

 gan, Partridp^es and Grouse breed within the hmits of the 

 United States, and their habits in the nestinp^ season can 

 be observed by anyone who may be sufficiently inter- 

 ested to visit those parts of our country in which the 

 birds are to be found. 



Their nests are similar in construction, but the egfpfs 

 vary g^reatly in coloration, and some, like those of the 

 Ptarmigan, are strongly characteristic and unmistak- 

 able in their markings. The eggs of the F*artridgcs are 

 usually of one color and unspotted, those of the Grouse 

 and Turkeys more or less covered with spots, which 

 differ in hue from the ground color. 



Having provided in the work on " Shore Birds " a 

 map which gave the position and name of all the differ- 

 ent portions of a bird's plumage, it does not seem neces- 

 sary to issue another for the birds contained in this, a 

 companion volume, for the arrangement of the plumage 

 in all birds is the same, although the shape of the 

 feathers may be very different, and the terms by which 

 these are known do not vary. 



Tile plates which adorn the volume are the production 

 of the clever pencil of Mr. Edwin Sheppard, who illus- 

 trated the " Shore Birds," and like those drawings, these, 

 executed with equal fidelity, will be of the utmost assist- 

 ance in helping those unfamiliar with the species to 

 recognize their specimens without difficulty. 



The Latin names employed, except when reasons are 

 given in the articles or in the Appendix for changing 

 them, are those of the last edition of the Check List 

 issued by the American Ornithologists' Union. 



The author sincerely trusts that this book will prove to 

 be of value to all sportsmen, and help bring to their mem- 

 ories halcyon days amid the game birds in tangled brake 



