INTRODUCTION. xxiii 
mens of British birds for comparison with such of our Ame- 
rican species as seemed to be identical. 
For several years past I have felt a great desire to place 
before the world an account of the digestive organs of our 
various birds. With this view I have, at a great expense, ob- 
tained specimens preserved entire in spirits. In collecting 
them I have received the most effectual aid from several of my 
American friends, residing in different parts of the country ; 
and in particular from the Rev. Dr BacuMman of Charleston in 
South Carolina, Colonel TaroporE ANDERSON of Baltimore, Dr 
Ricuarp Haran of Philadelphia, Dr THomas M. Brewer of 
Boston in Massachusetts, Taomas M‘Cuttocu, Esq. of Pictou in 
Nova Scotia; ALEXANDER GorpoN, Esq. of London, who wrote 
to Havannah for Flamingoes; Jean CHartranp, Esq. who 
sent me a pair of these birds from Matanzas in Cuba; and from 
Captain Napoteon Coste of the United States’ Revenue Service. 
Besides the valuable contributions of these friends, to whom my 
warmest thanks are due, a vast number of specimens were pro- 
cured by the members of my several parties, in Labrador, in 
Texas, and in various parts of the United States, as well as 
many purchased from Mr Warp of New York. An account. 
of the digestive organs and trachea of these, generally concise, 
but occasionally of considerable length, you will find under 
the articles to which they refer, in the present volume. These 
anatomical descriptions, as well as the sketches by which they 
are sometimes illustrated, have been executed by my learned 
friend Witt1am Maccitiivray, who in the most agreeable 
manner consented to undertake the labour, by no means small, 
of such a task, and to whom those who are interested in the 
progress of Ornithological science, as well as myself, must 
