PREFACE TO VOLUME II. 



Now that our long task (commenced in 1913) is brought to a 

 conclusion, it is the Editor's privilege to return his most cordial 

 thanks to his co-authors for their unfailing co-operation as well 

 as to numerous friends and correspondents, who have helped in 

 various ways to make this work as complete as possible. As was 

 mentioned in the first volume, had it not been for the fact that 

 we were given every facility to examine the bird-skins in two of 

 the greatest collections of birds in the world, viz. : those of the 

 British Museum and Lord Rothschild, the descriptions of plumages 

 and moults could not have been accomplished, and for this privilege 

 we are greatly indebted to the kindness of Lord Rothschild, our 

 co-author Dr. Hartert, and his assistant, Mr. A. Goodson, and to Dr. 

 P. R. Lowe, Mr. N. B. Kinnear, and Mr. T. Wells, Mr. C; Chubb, and 

 Mr. H. B. Usher, of the Natural History Museum. We are also much 

 indebted to Dr. W. E. Clarke and Dr. J. Ritchie for the loan of 

 many specimens sent for examination from the Royal Scottish 

 Museum, and to Mr. T. A. Coward for similar loans from the Man- 

 chester Museum. We must also express our gratitude to many 

 others who have assisted us from time to time, and especially to 

 the following : Messrs. C. E. Alford, W. Berry, Dr. P. A. Buxton, 

 Mr. Abel Chapman, Dr. F. M. Chapman, the Director of the Chris - 

 tiania Zoological Museum, Dr. J. J. Dwight, Col. Fraser-Tytler, 

 Miss M. Garnett, Messrs. H. S. Gladstone, Ludlow-Griscom, G. H. 

 Caton Haigh, T. Iredale, Dr. N. H. Joy, Mr. R, Kemp, Prof. E, 

 Lonnberg, Rear-Admiral H. Lynes, Dr. H. J. Moon, Messrs. W. H, 

 Mullens, J. B. Nichols, J. T. Nichols, M. J. Nicoll, the late Heatley 

 Noble, C. H. Oliverson, J. H. Owen, Lord William Percy, Messrs, 

 O. G. Pike, M. Portal, Dr. B. B. Riviere, Messrs. W T . Rowan, 

 H. T. L. Schaanning, Dr. E. L. Schioler, Messrs. R. Shoolbred, 

 J. K. Stanford, Surgeon Rear-Admiral J. H. Stenhouse, Dr. E. 

 Stresemann, Dr. C. B. Ticehurst, and Miss E. L. Turner. 



I have also to acknowledge my gratitude to Mrs. Hartert for 

 the care and trouble she has taken over the text figures, almost all 

 of which have been drawn by her from specimens in the Tring 

 Museum, and to Mr. H. Gronvold for the interest he has taken 



