INTRODUCTION. XIU 



tain information to be derived from the notices of Lewis and Clark of 

 the birds they saw on the banks of the Columbia. They were unable 

 to bring many specimens across the mountains, and their descriptions 

 are in general too vague for scientific purposes, which is, perhaps, 

 attributable to the untimely death of Governor Lewis previous to the 

 publication of the work. 



All this, however, would have been compensated by the indefati- 

 gable researches of Mr. David Douglas, which would have made the 

 birds of the north-west coast equally familiar to Europeans with those 

 of Hudson's Bay, had not his extensive collections gone to decay, 

 through the length of the voyage and other causes beyond his control. 

 He is now a second time exploring that interesting country, and we 

 look with much anxiety for the rich harvest he is sure to reap. 



Eschscholtz and Chamisso, the naturalists who accompanied Kot- 

 zebue on his voyages to the Russian-American settlements and Eeh- 

 ring's Straits, doubtless acquired a knowledge of the birds of the 

 places they visited ; but only some detached notices of their dis- 

 coveries in Natural History have as yet reached this country. The 

 more recent voyage of Captain Beechey has also been productive of 

 much advantage to natural science ; and I rejoice that Mr. Vigors 

 has undertaken the task of bringing the ornithological discoveries 

 before the public *.. 



Almost the only information we have of the birds of the extreme 

 northern coasts of America is contained in the Natural History 

 Appendices to the voyages of Ross and Parry. Having had access 

 to many of the specimens procured on these voyages, and preserved 

 in the British and Edinburgh Museums, I have described them in 

 the present work f . 



* I should gladly have availed myself of the kindness of the Author, who entrusted me with the 

 proof-sheets, to have rendered this work more complete, by giving a list of the species that frequent 

 the north-west coast; but very few of the specimens brought home on that Expedition had notes 

 attached to them to indicate their locality, so that the native places of many are uncertain. 



t I embrace the opportunity here afforded of again returning my sincere thanks to Charles Konig, 

 John George Children, and John Gray, Esqrs , of the British Museum; to Robert Jameson, Esq., 

 Regius Professor of Natural History in the University of Edinburgh ; and Nicholas Aylward Vigors, 

 Esq., Secretary to the Zoological Society; for the great facilities they have invariably afforded me of 



