INTRODUCTION. 
THE scientific arrangement followed in this work is mainly in 
accordance with that of ‘The List of British Birds compiled by a 
Committee of the British Ornithologists’ Union.’ There are, of 
course, differences of opinion respecting the relative position of 
some of the Families which make up the Order Passeres, such as 
the Corvide ; but nearly all modern systematists are agreed that 
the highest avian development is attained in that Order. The 
Passeres therefore, as being the most specialized of birds, should 
occupy either the first place in a descending arrangement (such 
as that set forth by Mr. P. L. Sclater in ‘The Ibis’ for 1880 and 
widely adopted in the Old World), or else the last in a scheme of 
ascent from the lowest and most reptilian birds. Nearly fifteen 
years ago, the latter found favour, even in a somewhat crude form, 
in the United States; and it has received increasing acceptance 
in Europe, owing to its elaboration by Professor Bronn, Dr. Hans 
Gadow and Professor Fiirbringer, while it has been adopted by Mr. 
A. H. Evans in his new volume ‘ Birds,’ of the Cambridge Natural 
History. There is much to be said in its favour, but such a 
complete change would hardly commend itself to the readers of 
a work which has been playfully named ‘The Boy’s Yarrell’ ; 
and it therefore seems preferable to adhere to the highly-sanctioned 
scheme of commencing with the Passeres. To attain some 
approach to uniformity, my own views have been subordinated to 
those of the majority of the Committee of the B.O.U. as regards 
the positions of the Corvide and the Alaudide, as well as on some 
other unessential points. 
It must be remembered that this work is merely a Manual, 
intended to convey as much information wf ¢o date as may be 
practicable in one volume; and it would be foreign to my purpose 
to increase its bulk by a treatise on the Orders and Families of 
Birds; yet a brief outline has been given of the characteristics 
of the Genera, although even this forms no essential part of the 
scheme of the work... The beginner will do well to bear in mind 
that, although systematists may be fairly agreed as regards the com- 
