6 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 



A knowledge of the value of birds can be obtained with- 

 out it. 



The number of birds in New Jersey, which either re- 

 main here all the year or whose visits are more or less 

 prolonged during certain seasons, is very large and a com- 

 prehensive treatise on all of them would make a ponder- 

 ous volume. The endeavor of the author in the pi'esent 

 work has been to deal with them in accordance with their 

 importance; the transient visitor who merely straggles in- 

 to the state from adjoining territory or who remains only 

 long enough to secure rest and food to supply strength 

 for further travel, has not been considered worthy of the 

 attention to be devoted to him who remains with us at aU 

 seasons or whose sojourn is long enough to awaken in us 

 either an interest in his habits or a desire for his return. 



Few facts hitherto unpublished will be found in this 

 volume. The study of American Ornithology dates back 

 to almost the date of the discovery of this continent and 

 ever since that time have admirers of nature studied the 

 habits of our birds. The foundation was laid by Alexander 

 Wilson and he has been followed by hundreds, each of 

 whom has contributed his quota, either large or small, un- 

 til the structure of American Ornithology was brought to 

 its present state of almost completion. The work of Wil- 

 son has been used as the foundation for the present treat- 

 ise, supplemented by the works of Witmer Stone, 

 Frank M. Chapman, D. G. Elliott and others. The 

 main facts in relation to the breeding location and range 

 have been taken from Mr. Witmer Stone's "Birds of 

 Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. " The author is 

 also indebted to Mr. Stone for a painstaking revision of 

 this work before it went to press. 



The Delaware Valley Ornithological Club is an organiz- 

 ation the members of which have devoted a great deal of 

 time and study to the birds of New Jersey as well as of 

 Pennsylvania. This club meets in the building of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and the 



