PREFATORY NOTE. 



The present volume concludes the account of the birds 

 of South Africa. In it are described 251 species of the Game-, 

 Shore- and Water-birds, making 814 species in all for South 

 Africa. It had been my intention to add a supplement, giving 

 accounts of the species described since the issue of the first 

 volume, with other corrections and additions. The supple- 

 ment, it was found, would contain so large a number of pages 

 that 1 was forced to abandon it. The material collected for 

 this purpose, however, has been published in the "Annals of 

 the South African Museum " (vol. iii., part 8, 1905), and can 

 be easily obtained by any one who wishes to consult it. 



As in the case of the third volume, I am alone responsible 

 for the contents of this, although I have made some use of 

 Dr. Stark's notebook. I have to thank my numerous South 

 African correspondents for much information and help freely 

 given ; among them I should like specially to mention Mr. 

 A. D. Millar, Major Sparrow, Mr. G. A. K. Marshall, Dr. 

 Stoehr, Mr. J. G. Brown of Port Elizabeth, Mr. Haagner, Dr. 

 Howard and Mr. Gilfillan. 



As before, the illustrations, with a few exceptions, have 

 been specially prepared for this volume by Mr. Gronvold, to 

 whom I am greatly indebted for the pains and trouble he has 

 taken to carry out my wishes. Mr. H. E. Harris has kindly 

 allowed me the use of five of the blocks prepared from his 

 own photographs and used to illustrate his " Essays and 



