140 MANUAL 



Most of tbem can be restricted to North American Birds, or 

 applied to Birds in General. The number of Topics might 

 be increased, also, upon careful consideration. The above, 

 however, will be found to contain most of the leading Ques- 

 tions of the Day, as applied to Ornithological problems. 



An Enumeration of the ORDERS and FAMILIES 

 of the BIRDS OF THE WORLD. 



The present list of the Families of The Birds of 

 the World, following their respective Orders, is the 

 result of over twenty-five years of careful study and 

 reflection. The latest works upon the subject, in both 

 the European and the English Languages are in my 

 Library and have been faithfully examined. 



Besides the actual specimens in the Central Park 

 and Vassar College Museums (in 1873), Amherst Col- 

 lege, and the Boston Society of Natural History ; the 

 magnificent collection of birds, both stuffed and in the 

 skin, of Prof. H. A. Ward of Rochester, N. Y. ; a val- 

 uable collection of about 2000 skins of birds from the 

 East Indies, belonging to my brother the late William 

 F. Stearns, Esq. of Orange, N. J. ; a collection of 800 

 skins from the same source, the property of the Rev. 

 William O. Ballantine of Ahmednagar, India ; besides— — p 

 many smaller collections from various parts of the 

 world which have been opened to me and have been 

 no less interesting. 



A discussion of why each family has been placed as 

 it has, would occupy more space than can at present 



