PREFACE. 



century, and which is to be found under the letter E, in Jerdon's 

 Birds of India, Blyth's Catalogue, Bonaparte's Conspectus, and 

 the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London down to 

 1865. Classicists now write Henicurus as the correct form ; 

 but this seems to me one of those cases in which orthographical 

 accuracy should give way to priority, and still more to con- 

 venience. 



In combining and arranging so much detail from such varied 

 sources, many errors and omissions must doubtless have occurred. 

 Owing to my residence at a distance from the scientific libraries 

 of the metropolis, I was placed at a great disadvantage ; and I 

 could hardly have completed the work at all, had I not been 

 permitted to have a large number of volumes at once, from the 

 library of the Zoological Society of London, and to keep them 

 for months together; — a privilege for which I return my best 

 thanks to Mr. Sclater the Secretary, and to the Council. 



Should my book meet with the approval of working natu- 

 ralists, I venture to appeal to them, to assist me in rendering 

 any future editions more complete, by sending me (to the care of 

 my publishers) notes of any important omissions, or corrections 

 of any misstatements of fact ; as well as copies of any of their 

 papers or essays, and especially of any lists, catalogues, and 

 monographs, containing information on the classification or 

 distribution of living or extinct animals. 



To the many friends who have given me information or 

 assistance 1 beg to tender my sincere thanks. Especially am I 

 indebted to Professor Newton, who not only read through much 

 of my rough MSS., but was so good as to make numerous cor- 

 rections and critical notes. These were of great value to me, as 

 they often contained or suggested important additional matter, 

 or pointed out systematic and orthographical inaccuracies. 



