INIRODUCIIQON 
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IN the present work I trust that I have carried out the intentions of my friend, Ше late 
Mr. Henry SEEBOHM, when he conceived the idea of writing a ‘Monograph of the Turdide, 
or Family of Thrushes.’ Shortly after the completion of the fifth volume of the ‘Catalogue of 
Birds,’ Mr. Seebohm made preparations to publish a Monograph of the Thrushes, а group 
of birds of which at that time he had a profound knowledge, and until his death in 1895 he 
continued to employ Mr. Keulemans in drawing the Plates for the book which he intended 
to issue. Nearly all the Plates which illustrate the present volumes were prepared during 
Mr. Seebohm's lifetime, and were coloured in anticipation of their speedy publication. Several 
have been since added by the Publishers in order to bring the work up to date. 
А packet of MSS. of considerable size, supposed to have been the Author's material for the 
Monograph, passed into the hands of the Publishers along with the series of coloured Plates 
which were to illustrate the book. Оп closer examination this parcel of MSS. was found to consist 
merely of the descriptions of the species of the genus Geocichla, while the final series of Plates 
(doubtless owing to the author's illness) had evidently never been examined by him. The colouring 
of these Plates was found to be by no means good, and they have all had to be re-coloured, a 
proceeding which has involved much loss of time and expense to the Publishers. 
The undersigned, who had simply undertaken to 64% his friend's MSS., thus found himself 
called upon to write three-quarters of the book—a task which, with his burden of other official and 
private work, he would never knowingly have undertaken, since the increase of his official duties 
occupies much of his private time. The result has been that considerable delay has taken place 
in the completion of the * Monograph,' as the compilation of some of the articles in the present 
volumes has involved the sacrifice of all his available time, for weeks together. Не has to apologize 
to the Subscribers for this delay, which has been irritating to all concerned ; but the Editor trusts 
that his labours have not been in vain, and that the Author would have been satisfied with the 
work as now completed. 
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