

PREFACE. 



The present volume, concluding the Birds of Ireland, contains 

 descriptions of all the weli-footed or swimming species (A^afa- 

 fores). These include the swans, geese, ducks; divers, auks, 

 cormorants, gannets ; terns, gulls, and petrels. 



If a want of generalization of the facts contained in these 

 volumes be objected to, it should be remembered, as stated in 

 the preface to the first volume, that they are merely put forward 

 as supplementary to several works on the Birds of England and 

 Scotland, in all of which generalization will be found, though 

 not invariably based on sufficient data. The author of the pre- 

 sent volumes considered it better to content himself with pub- 

 lishing the facts, as a contribution of materials for that purpose, 

 rather than attem])t to generalize on insufficient grounds. 



The detail he feels must often be wearisome to those not 

 specially interested iii the subject, or who do more than 

 refer to one species at a time. It M'as never imagined by tlie 

 author that the work would be read continuously by any indi- 

 vidual ; it was drawn up simply as one of reference, and hence 

 pains were not taken to render the style more flowing, or to 

 free it fn^m tlic constant impedinuijits Jo an even course of 



