4 birds of ohio. 



The Task. 



The task of revision involves far more than merely a re- 

 arrangement of the groups and species to conform to the 

 present accepted alignment. Many names have been 

 changed wholly or in part, species have been divided into 

 two or more forms, the status of each of which must be de- 

 termined where they affect Ohio birds. There have been 

 changes in the distribution of some species in the state. 

 Questions of the validity of records of species occurring 

 in Ohio, old as well as new, have presented themselves. The 

 influences of more complete settlement have needed atten- 

 tion. Twice as much time as has been allotted me for this 

 task could have been used profitably, but it is hoped that 

 some worth}^ results are here presented. 



The Plan. 



While Dr. Wheaton used a somewhat modified form of 

 Dr. Elliot Coues' system of 1874, the present catalogue con- 

 forms pretty strictly to the nomenclature and arrangement 

 of the American Ornithologists' Union, revised to date. 



The scientific names, with the authority for them, as well 

 as the English names, conform to the above-named Check- 

 List. Under the caption "Synonyms" are given first, the 

 scientific, and second, the English names which have been 

 used to designate the species in other works, the names used 

 by Dr. Wheaton in his 1883 catalogue being given prefer- 

 ence where they differ from the present names. 



Bibliography. 



Under the caption "Bibliography" only the first published 

 reference to the species as occurring in Ohio is given. While 

 the author has endeavored to verify all references and make 

 certain of accuracy here, his limited reference librar}^ must 

 account for inaccuracies. The bibliography of Ohio birds 

 is less extensive than that of many other states, but it is 

 scattered over many minor publications which are difficult 

 to secure. In the appendix will be found as complete a bib- 

 liography as the writer has been able to compile after much 



