IV 



PREFACE. 



North American Birds may serve as a handy book for the sportsman 

 and traveller, as well as for the resident naturalist, and that all may 

 find it a convenient and satisfactory means of identifying any North 

 American bird in all its variations of plumage. 



KOBEKT RIDGWAY. 



Department of Birds, 



United States National Museum, 



April 11, 1887. 



