PUBLISHER'S NOTE. 



The World's Congress on Ornithology was held in con- 

 formity with the announcement of the Committee, in Hall 

 No. 23 of the Memorial Art Palace, at 2 P. m. of Wednesday, 

 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Oct. i8th-2ist, 1893. The 

 few weeks intervening between the appointment of the Com- 

 mittee and the sessions of the Congress did not enable the 

 Committee to do all they wished to mature their plans for 

 the co-operation of ornithologists living at a distance from 

 Chicago, but they had reason to be much gratified at the 

 measure of success attained, as witnessed by the large and 

 interested audiences which attended every session, and the 

 many papers which were read in person or by proxy. In the 

 unavoidable absence of President Coues the chair was oc- 

 cupied by other members of the Committee. The opening 

 address was made by the late Rev. Dr. David Swing, who 

 was followed by Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones, Prof. D. D. Mc- 

 Cormick, and others. The programme prepared for the four 

 sessions, and printed at the time, was carried out as far as 

 possible, but some changes were necessitated by delay or 

 non-reception of some papers which had been expected, and 

 others were made for the convenience of those who presented 

 papers in person. The papers selected for publication by 

 the Committee include among those which were read before 

 the Congress a number which reached their hands too late 

 to be placed upon the programme of the sessions. 



The responsible editor, Dr. Elliott Coues, has given per- 

 sonal supervision to every paper, and has read the proof of 

 the entire book. 



