Preface. iii 



"As you are aware there has of late been a good deal of discussion, 

 here and among the leaders of the American Ornithologists' Union, re- 

 specting the comparative status of Canadian ornithology, I am tempted 

 to write to you, as our leading Canadian member, and trust you will not 

 take it amiss if I call your attention to the great amount of work that 

 needs to be done before your country can stand side by side with the 

 United States in this branch of science. With the exception of Mr. 

 McIlwraith's work — the best manual we have on the special subject 

 — most of the recent advances are due to the Geological Survey, directly 

 or indirectly. And this leads me to inquire whether it would be possible 

 for the Survey to undertake the requisite work in a more systematic 

 manner, even to the extent of including some professed Ornithologist 

 in its corps. * * * * " 



Mr. Robert Ridgway, the well known Curator of the Department 

 of Birds at the National Museum, Washington, and who is the author of 

 several of the leading standard works on American ornithology, writes : 



" I trust the effort to create an interest in ornithology among Cana- 

 dian students will, as it certainly should, prove successful. 



"There are so many interesting, and, from a scientific standpoint, 

 important problems regarding the distribution (both general and local), 

 migrations, etc., of our birds yet to be worked out, that you will have the 

 best wishes of all naturalists for your success. 



"Much as has been done toward the development of ornithology in 

 North America, it can be safely said that we know the subject only in 

 outline ; and I do not think I exaggerate when I say that less is known 

 of the birds of the Provinces than of those of any equal area in the 

 ' far- western ' portions of the United States, for the latter have become 

 so well explored by our numerous Government Surveys." 



In a letter received from Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Chief of the Divi- 

 sion of Ornithology and Mammalogy of the Bureau of Agriculture, 

 Washington, and who is well known in Canadian scientific circles, there 

 occurs the following reference to the subject : 



"I am glad to learn from your recent letter that you are endeavoring 

 to create an increased interest in ornithology among Canadian students, 

 and hope you will succeed. 



********* 



■'The Geological Survey has done a vast amount of splendid work in 

 botany. * * * Why should it not do equally good work in orni- 



