PREFACE 
During his tenure of the Directorship of the Raffles 
Museum, Singapore, my predecessor there, the late Major 
J. C, MouLTON, o.jt.E., M.A., D.sc, projected in collaboration 
with Sir John A, S. Buckniu-, then Chief Justice of the Straits 
Settlements, a little book on Forty Common Birds of Singapore 
to be illustrated by coloured plates. The work was interrupted 
by Major Moulton's transfer to Sarawak as Chief Secretary 
to Government and, as his successor in the Raffles Museum, 
I fell heir to the illustrations. Sir John Bucknill's MS. and 
some notes ^f Major Moulton's which he hoped to find time 
to put in order and complete so that the book could be produced 
as originally planned. This, however, proved impossible and 
Major MouLTOfJ withdrew: I was thus under the necessity 
of providing- a successor to him, for I lacked both the ability 
and inclination to write a popular book on birds myself. 
Mr. F. N, Chaseh, Curator of the Raffles Museum, agreed 
to undertake the task and we decided that the scope of the 
volume should be extended to include all the common birds of 
the island and others less common as well. Mr. Chas£|4 set 
to work with such enthusiasm that, in editing his MS., I have 
had, regretfully, to abridg:e it considerably in order to keep 
this book within certain limits of size. Sir John Bucknill's 
notes on species figured have been made use of though, owing 
to the change of pkn, they bulk proportionately smaller than 
was originally the case; and his contributions have his initials 
attached. Mr. A, W. HAifiLTON has helped by supplying 
Malay names for many of the birds dealt with. 
