PREFACE. 
especially to the members of the staff of the “ Bird Room ” for their 
ever-ready aid at all times ; and also to Mr. B. B. Woodward, Librarian, 
and Mr. England, in charge of the books in the Zoological Department, 
who were always at my service in my search for rare references, so that 
I have personally verified every reference (save one) given in my first 
volume. 
I now particularly wish to draw attention to those who have helped 
me with gifts of specimens, thereby allowing me to deal in the most 
effective manner with the Australian avifauna, viz. by criticism and com- 
parison at my ease with specimens in my collection. 
From the magnitude of their donations some friends desire special 
mention, as Mr. H. C. Robinson, who handed me the collection made 
by Olive at Cooktown and Bellenden Ker, Queensland, consisting of over 400 
skins; to Mr. R. H. W. Leach for a large number of Tasmanian specimens ; 
to Mr. Frank E. Howe, whose donation of about 300 Victorian skins, 
contained some very rare specimens ; to Dr. J. B. Cleland, whose gift of 
400 skins collected in Western Australia and Eastern Australia, enabled 
me to make comparisons between the eastern and western representatives 
of many birds ; and to Mr. L. Chandler for a gift of 130 beautifully 
prepared Victorian skins, which were remarkable for the splendid series 
of immature individuals amongst them, in some cases showing all changes 
from nestling to adult. 
I have endeavoured to show my appreciation of such material aid 
by perpetuating the names of the donors in connection with some species 
of Australian bird, thereby fixing the interest they have taken in Australian 
Ornithology. Others whose donations have been less in number I wish to 
thank just as sincerely as those already mentioned, as it is by the help 
of the many, however small the individual contribution may be, that a 
work like the present is made possible. Such are Mr. F. L. Berney, 
Mr. Tom Carter, Miss A. Fletcher, Mr. Robert Hall, Professor A. Dendy, 
Mr. Frank Littler, Dr. W. MacGillivray, Mr. D. Seth-Smith,^ Mr. A. W. 
Swindells, Captain S. A. White, Mr. H. L. White, Mr. J. Wilkinson, and 
Mr. F. E. Wilson. 
Dr. A. Morgan, Captain S. A. White and Miss A. Fletcher have also 
forwarded me nests, for which thanks are due. 
Mr. Edwin Ashby forwarded me his entire collection of birds to 
England, and I have benefited much by valuable exchanges with him. 
Last (but decidedly not least) I have to thank Mr. A. J. Campbelly 
author of the standard work on “ Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds,’ ^ 
for sending me on loan his entire collection of bird-skins, including many 
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