INTRODUCTION. 
The monumental work undertaken and so ably begun by Maj. 
Charles E. Bendire has remained unfinished, and no additional 
volumes have been published since his death. In 1910 the author 
undertook to continue’ the work and began to gather material for 
it with the cooperation of American ornithologists. The follow- 
ing well-known ornithologists offered to help in gathering material 
from their several’ sections of the country: Harold H. Bailey, 
Walter B. Barrows, Allan Brooks, Earle A. Brooks, William L. 
Finley, Benjamin T. Gault, A Brazier Howell, Lynds Jones, Elmer 
T. Judd, Charles R. Keyes, Arthur H. Norton, Putnam B. Pea- 
body, T. Gilbert Pearson, Charles J. Pennock, Walter W. Perrett, 
Samuel F. Rathbun, Thomas S. Roberts, Aretas A. Saunders, Wil- 
liam E. Saunders, Witmer Stone; Myron H. Swenk, Charles W. 
Townsend, Edward R. Warren, and Arthur T. Wayne. | 
The Biological Survey of the Department of Agriculture, at 
Washington, very kindly placed at my disposal its matchless biblio- 
graphical index to published material on North: American birds, 
and a mass of references were carefully copied by Mr. Edward A. 
Preble. With this and the author’s private index as guides nearly 
every publication of importance relating to North American birds 
has been consulted. 
While the scope of the work was originally intended to cover sub- 
stantially the same ground covered by Maj. Bendire’s work and 
in practically the same manner, it’ has since seemed best to some- 
what enlarge its scope and to cover more ground, withthe differ- 
ent phases of the life histories arranged in a more definite and uni- 
form sequence, so that the reader may more readily find the parts in 
which he is interested. 
The classification and nomenclature adopted by the American 
Ornithologists’ Union in its Check List have been strictly followed, 
regardless of the author’s views on the status of certain species and 
subspecies; as this is not a work on systematic ornithology, it has 
seemed best to merely refer to these views briefly in the text and not 
attempt to discuss them fully. 
The main breeding and winter ranges are as accurately outlined 
as limited ‘space will permit; the normal migrations are given in 
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