THE BIRDS OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY.' 



Bv Frank M. Chapman. 



Associate Curator of Mammalogy and Ornithology. 



Introduction. 



The collection which this Guide is intended to accompany has 

 been formed especially to aid students in identifying the birds 

 found in the vicinity of New York City. It occupies a portion of the 

 \\'est Corridor of the third floor (Hall No. 303). With a few except- 

 ions, all the specimens contained in it were collected within 50 miles 

 of the American Museum of Natural History. The species which 

 we have as yet been unable to secure within these limits are repre- 

 sented temporarily by specimens from the North American Col- 

 lection. The collection is placed under two heads: first, sys- 

 tematic, containing virtually all the birds which have been re- 

 corded from within the prescribed limits, and second, seasonal, in 

 which only the birds of the month are exhibited, as is explained 

 more fully beyond. Species of accidental occurrence, or those 

 which have been found in this vicinity but once or twice, are 

 grouped at the end of the systematic collection. 



The birds are labeled in accordance with the system of no- 

 menclature adopted by the American Ornithologists' Union. The 

 number on the label, preceding the name of each species is its 

 number in the Union's "Check-List" of North American birds 

 (2nd edition, 1895). In the desk case in the center of the hall will 

 be found a local collection of the nests and eggs of the birds which 

 breed within 50 miles of the ]\luseum. It is labeled on the same 

 plan as the local collection of birds. Near by are placed photo- 

 graphs from nature of the nests of most of our breeding birds and 

 exhibits of bills, feet, w'ings, tails and feathers designed to explain 

 technical terms used in descriptive ornithology. A list of useful 

 ornithological publications will also be found here. 



1 Reprinted from the Atmrican Museum Journal, Vol. VI. pp. S1-102, April, 1906. 



81 [3] 



