﻿New 
  York 
  State 
  Education 
  Department 
  

  

  Science 
  Division, 
  April 
  i, 
  igo8 
  

  

  Hon. 
  Andrew 
  S. 
  Draper 
  LL.D. 
  

  

  Commissioner 
  of 
  Education 
  

  

  Sir: 
  In 
  1844 
  this 
  State 
  published 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  volumes 
  of 
  the 
  Natural 
  

   History 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  a 
  comprehensive 
  and 
  finely 
  illustrated 
  treatise 
  on 
  the 
  

   birds 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  prepared 
  by 
  the 
  eminent 
  ornithologist, 
  James 
  E. 
  DeKay. 
  

   Ever 
  since 
  its 
  date 
  of 
  issue 
  this 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  of 
  fundamental 
  value 
  to 
  all 
  

   students 
  of 
  birds 
  and 
  may 
  justly 
  be 
  regarded 
  as, 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  degree, 
  the 
  

   primary 
  inspiration 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  widespread 
  interest 
  among 
  the 
  people 
  

   of 
  the 
  State 
  in 
  the 
  science 
  of 
  ornithology. 
  

  

  In 
  1904, 
  60 
  years 
  from 
  its 
  publication, 
  I 
  urgently 
  represented 
  to 
  you 
  

   that 
  a 
  restudy 
  of 
  this 
  field 
  was 
  desirable 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  bring 
  together 
  the 
  

   increments 
  to 
  knowledge 
  during 
  the 
  long 
  period 
  which 
  had 
  elapsed 
  without 
  

   active 
  interest 
  therein 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  and 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  very 
  gen- 
  

   eral 
  and 
  lively 
  concern 
  in 
  the 
  subject 
  among 
  our 
  citizens. 
  

  

  Consequent 
  upon 
  your 
  cordial 
  approbation 
  of 
  this 
  plan, 
  Mr 
  E. 
  Howard 
  

   Eaton, 
  an 
  experienced 
  student 
  of 
  the 
  birds, 
  was 
  asked 
  to 
  undertake 
  the 
  

   preparation 
  of 
  a 
  work 
  which 
  would 
  meet 
  the 
  present 
  needs 
  of 
  the 
  public. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  with 
  much 
  satisfaction 
  that 
  I 
  now 
  have 
  the 
  honor 
  to 
  transmit 
  to 
  

   you 
  herewith 
  for 
  publication 
  as 
  a 
  memoir 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Museum, 
  the 
  manu- 
  

   script 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  volume 
  of 
  this 
  treatise, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  the 
  plates- 
  in 
  

   color 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  prepared 
  by 
  the 
  accomplished 
  bird 
  artist, 
  Mr 
  Louis 
  

  

  Agassiz 
  Fuertes. 
  

  

  Very 
  respectfully 
  

  

  John 
  M. 
  Clarke 
  

  

  Director 
  

  

  