able to ascertain personally or from others, is set forth in my 

 Roug-h Draft of " Eg-g-s and Nests ^^ of Indian Birds, Parti., 

 of which has just been printed, and the two remaining parts of 

 which will be available during the course of this present year. 

 I venture to hope, that a perusal of this will show many " bird 

 fanciers" and sportsmen, as well as ornithologists, that much in- 

 formation possessed by them is as yet not g-enerally known, and 

 that they will make it so through the pages of Steay Feathers. 



As to distribution again much remains to be worked out, and 

 the importance of careful local faunas, in a vast region like that 

 with which we deal, and in which, as it were, the Palsearctic and 

 Palsetropic faunas meet, cannot be overrated. 



No special scientilic knowledge is necessary for the prepara- 

 tion of these — a man has only to collect steadily, in almost am/ 

 locality for a year or eighteen months, one or two specimens of 

 everi/ species he can come across in his neighbourhood, to note, 

 so far as practicable, in regard to each, whether they are rare or 

 common, whether they are permanent residents or seasonal visi- 

 tants, and if the latter, when they arrive and when they leave ; 

 whether they breed in his neighbourhood, and if so, when ; what 

 their nests are like, where they are situated, how they are com- 

 posed, how many eggs they lay, and what these are like, and 

 what their dimensions are ; what the nestling-s and what the young- 

 birds are like ; what localities and what food the birds affect, 

 and, even if he does all this very, very imperfectly in regard to 

 a vast number of species, he will still (after his birds have been 

 identified) possess materials for a most useful axidi instnictive local 

 avifauna, such as the most critical professed ornithologist will 

 welcome cordially. 



May I not hope that some of my supporters will turn their 

 especial attention to local avifaunas such as that contributed by 

 Mr. E.. M. Adam to this present volume ? 



In conclusion, I must crave indulgence, especially from Euro- 

 pean readers, who have no conception of the difficulties attend- 

 ing the printing of works of this nature in India, for the many 

 typographical errors that have — anything but adorned — our 

 pages. In this as in other matters we shall try to improve, and 

 in the mean time, I would pray all, both Indian and European^ 

 readers to be 



" To our sad faults a little blind, 

 To our small merits, very kind ! " 



A. O. HUME. 



Calcutta, 



' Decemher Isi, 1873. 



