2 PREFACE. 



as well as those of nomenclature, making the call for a re- 

 vision all the more imperative. The changes in the physical 

 features incident to the fuller settlement of the state have 

 been attended by changes in the whole fauna, the bird pop- 

 ulation changing with the rest. 



Keenly feeling the need for a state catalogue of our birds 

 which should embody the latest results of field work and 

 conform to the adopted system of nomenclature, the writer 

 appealed to the Ohio State Academy of Science, at its meet- 

 ing in December, 1900, and found ready sympathy in the 

 plan for a revision. A liberal portion of the McMillin fund 

 was placed at his disposal for the purpose of prosecuting 

 the work, and it is largely that substantial help which makes 

 it possible to present the finished report at this early date. 

 With this fund it was possible to mail upward of two hun- 

 dred lists of birds of probable occurrence to different parts of 

 the state for reports from local bird students, and to visit 

 several little known regions of the state for the purpose of 

 studying the bird fauna there at first hand. A list of those 

 who kindly contributed notes and who gave other assistance 

 will be found elsewhere. 



The nomenclature adopted in this Catalogue conforms to 

 that of the American Ornithologists' Union Check-List, Sec- 

 ond Edition and Supplements succeeding. While this sys- 

 tem is not free from faults, and while another revision seems 

 imminent, it is not within the province of this catalogue to 

 anticipate much of such revision. Some questions relating 

 to the validity of species and subspecies which occur in Ohio 

 await settlement. In these few cases I have been obliged to 

 use my best judgment respecting the questions at issue. If 

 that judgment proves unsound I trust that the reader will 

 consider the limitations of time and material under which I 

 am obliged to complete this work. 



