ADVERTISEMENT. 
Tue want of an edition of Witson’s OrnirHotoey, adapted 
to general circulation, has long been felt in the United States. 
While several popular editions have been published in Europe, 
there has been none here, except the original one, and an- 
other, with slight modifications; both of which, on account of 
their costliness, have been necessarily excluded from the hands 
of many who might desire to possess or peruse WiLson’s work. 
The present work is designed to supply this want, and it is 
hoped it may serve at once to extend the fame of the author, 
to give a wider scope to the influence of his genius, and pro- 
mote an interest in the study of American ornithology. 
To accomplish these objects, the original work of Wizsow 
has been followed, adding thereto the copious and valuable 
notes of Jarpine. In order, however, to present a complete 
view of the birds of North America, a Synopsis has been ap- 
pended, including all the birds described by Witson, Nutra, 
Bonaparte, Aupupon, and Ricuarpson. The Synopsis has 
been prepared solely with a view to supply, so far as could be 
done within such narrow limits, that which is wanting in the 
original text of Witson. AQ brief explanation of the plan upon 
which it has been prepared, may not, therefore, be out of 
place. 
It will be seen that the Synopsis comprises the names, both 
scientific and otherwise, of all the birds now known to exist in 
North America, arranged according to their natural affinities 
Wherever birds have been fully described in the preceding 
pages, it has been deemed necessary to refer only to the works 
of American ornithologists, who have also given their history. 
