PREFACE. 



of his unassisted labors, and above twenty-one years' resi- 

 dence in Calcutta, have so far injured his health as to pre- 

 clude the present hope of his publishing a separate work. 

 His voluminous writings, however, Reports, Notices, Mono- 

 graphs, &c., scattered through Twenty (20) volumes of 

 the Journal of the Asiatic Society, and in various English 

 scientific periodicals, are permanent proofs of his great 

 talents and industry ; and, were it not for those writings 

 and the fine collection he has been the chief means 

 of making in Calcutta, the present work would be much 

 more imperfect than it now is. 



Mr. Blyth has seen the present work, during its slow 

 progress through the press, which he has most kindly 

 assisted the Author in correcting ; and has added much 

 valuable information from his own knowledge and ex- 

 perience. 



All these advantages, however, would have been unavail- 

 able, and the present publication would not have seen 

 the light so early, had it not been for the enlightened 

 liberality of the late deeply regretted Viceroy, Earl 

 Canning. When the projected expedition to Tibet (of 

 which the author was to have formed a member) was 

 postponed, in consequence of the inability to obtain pass- 

 ports from Pekin, his Excellency most cordially placed him 

 on special duty, with a view to the publication of the present 

 work; thus giving him full leisure to devote to the 

 completion of his researches, and to the progress of the 

 book through the press. 



The sanction likewise given him to prosecute his scientific 

 enquiries, in any quarter, has been the means of increasing 

 our knowledge of the geographic distribution of many 

 Birds, and has also added several new species to the Indian 

 Fauntu. 



