PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



A T the first Congress of the American Ornithologists' Union, held 

 in New York, September 26-29, 1883, the following resolution 

 was adopted : — 



" Resolved, That the Chairman appoint a Committee of five, including him- 

 self, to whom shall be referred the question of a Revision of the Classification 

 and Nomenclature of the Birds of North America." 



In pursuance of this resolution the following Committee was ap- 

 pointed: Messrs. Coues, Allen, Ridgway, Brewster, and Henshaw. 



The Committee, having held numerous sessions in Washington and 

 New York, presented its Report at the second Congress of the Union, 

 held in New York, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, 1884, when the following resolu- 

 tion was adopted : — 



" Resolved, That the Report of the Committee on the Revision of the Nomen- 

 clature and Classification of North American Birds be accepted and adopted, 

 and that it be recommitted to the Committee, with instructions to complete 

 and submit it to the Council as soon as practicable; and that the Council be 

 empowered and instructed to accept and adopt the Report as finally rendered, 

 with such modifications as they may deem necessary, and to publish the same, 

 copyrighted, in part or in whole, and in one or more forms, in the name and 

 under the auspices of the American Ornithologists' Union." 



The Committee, having continued its sessions, presented its final 

 report to the Council at a meeting held in Washington on the 21st of 

 April, 1885, when the Report of the Committee was accepted and 

 adopted, and was referred again to the Committee for publication, 

 the Committee to exercise such editorial revision as might seem 

 necessary. 



Pursuant to the foregoing resolutions of the Union and Council, 

 the Committee now offers to the public, in the name and on behalf of 

 the Union, the result of its labors, consisting of a List of North Ameri- 



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