INTRODUCTION. 
XCV 
particular path, Messrs Catesby and Edwards, 
^^ose memories he truly respects. But as a sacred 
'^^gard to truth requires that the errors or inadver- 
^•'cies of those authors, as well as of others, should 
noticed, and corrected, let it not be imputed to 
^ntvorthy motives, but to its true cause, — a zeal 
r the promotion of that science, in which these 
Snntlenien so much delighted, and for which they 
^'^6 done so much. 
P 
rom the writers of our own country the author 
, ® ‘derived but little advantage.. The first con- 
®^<ierable list of our birds was published in 1787, 
^ Mr Jefferson,, in his celebrated “ Notes on 
"•ginia,” and contains the names of a hundred 
nine species, with the designations of Linnaeus 
Catesby, and references to Buffon. The next, 
V far the most complete that has yet appeared, 
. published in 1791, by Mr 'WHliam Bartram, 
IS Travels thrmigli North and South Caro- 
&c. in which two hundred and fifteen different 
Pucies are enumerated, and concise descriptions 
characteristics of each added in Latin and 
^"glish. Dr Barton, in his Fragments of the 
'^ural History of Pennsylvania, has favoured 
"'‘th a number of remarks on this subject ; and 
Belknap, in his History of New Hampshire, 
as Dr Williams, in that of Vermont, have 
