IV 
PREFACE. 
of fame which has followed the appearance of his writings, wherever 
the English language is understood, or natural history admired. 
A love for the same department of natural science, and a desire 
to complete the vast enterprise so far advanced by Wilson’s labours, 
has induced us to undertake the present work, in order to illustrate 
what premature death prevented him from accomplishing, as well as 
the discoveries subsequently made in the feathered tribes of these 
States. This undertaking was not precipitately decided on, nor until 
the author had well ascertained that no one else was willing to engage 
in the work. He was aware of his inability to portray the history 
and habits of birds in a style equal to that of his distinguished pre¬ 
decessor, principally because he does not write in his own language; 
and were his abilities equal to his wishes, the species recorded in 
the following pages are, for the most part, so rare, and their history 
so little known, as to preclude the possibility of making the attempt. 
To compensate for such disadvantages, the author has throughout 
endeavoured to give accurate descriptions, correct synonymes, and 
a nomenclature as conformable to nature as possible. He has been 
equally solicitous to procure the best representations of his birds; in 
which he hopes he has succeeded, through the happy pencil of Mr. 
Titian Peale, who has invariably draw n from the recent bird, and 
not from the preserved specimen; this being the principal advantage 
of works on Natural History, published in the country where the ani¬ 
mals figured are found. The want of such opportunities of making 
drawings, causes the chief defect of various magnificent European 
works, in which beauty and brilliancy of colouring scarcely compen¬ 
sate for the unnatural stiffness, faithfully copied from stuffed skins. 
With the birds always before him, Mr. Lawson has transferred our 
drawings to the copper with his usual unrivalled accuracy and 
ability. This artist, who acquired so much distinction by the engrav¬ 
ings in Wilson’s work, has become perfectly master of his art, and 
so intimately acquainted with the various parts of a bird, that he 
may be justly styled the first ornithological engraver of our age. 
