INTRODUCTORY. 
1 1 6 
that has called forth the present paper. No excuse need be offered 
for its manifest incompleteness, albeit it falls far short of a complete 
review of the summer birds of the region treated, and the subject of 
their environment is but cursorily entertained, for it is presented 
solely as the contribution to an important subject permitted by a 
transient experience in an unworked field. Moreover, completeness 
in delineating the more pronounced features of the avi-fauna of the 
defined region may be considered as reasonably attained ; and a pre- 
cise knowledge of salient faunal features, extended and applied, 
must yield a true conception of the broader principles of geographical 
distribution. Primary features rather than incidental details must 
bestow the character of all broad generalization. 
Of the Alleghanian system in New York State the Adirondacks 
have received the most attention, and though we have as yet nothing 
full on the ornithology of this section, the recent preliminary papers 
of Dr. Merriam indicate that we have much to expect. 
In connection with a knowledge of the avi-fauna of the Adiron- 
dacks, a knowledge of that of the Catskills, second in importance 
only to the former as a culminating point of the mountain system to 
which both pertain, in New York State, is highly desirable; and 
though we have had from Mr. John Burroughs some beautiful pen- 
pictures of the bird-life of this region, and the writings of this author* 
have much passim on the subject of its feathered inhabitants, other 
than this, and incidental allusions in published matter, a short note by 
Mr. T. M. Trippe,j* is all I find applying directly to it.J 
The observations on which the present paper is based were made 
during brief explorations ol the more southern Catskills in three suc- 
*It may here be stated that all references made in this paper to Mr. Burroughs’ writings are 
to the volumes in which have been collected many of his essays which first appeared as magazine 
articles. 
f American Naturalist, VI, I, 47-48, January, 1872. 
\ A recent paper by the writer renders this statement hardly exact and may here be cited : 
“A Sketch of the Home of Hylocichla Alicia Bicknelli , Ridgvvay, with some Critical Remarks on 
the Allies of this new Race.” Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, VII, 3, 152-9, July, 1882. 
