P R E F A C E .
F o r th e co n v e n ie n c e o f b in d in g tb i s n 'o rk vtg h a v e d iv id e d it in to tw o v o lum e s , b u t it
was o rig in a lly w r it t e n w i th th e id e a o f f o n ’n iu g a s in g le v o lum e o n ly . T h e u n e x p e c te d
g row th o f th e m a te r ia l a t o u r d isp o sa l a n d th e d is c o v e ry o f n ew spec ie s h a v e c a u s e d th e
w o rk to e x te n d f a r b e y o n d th e lim its o rig in a lly p ro p o s e d b y u s, a n d th e re fo re th e
d iv isio n o f th e v o lum e in to tw o p o rtio n s m a y b e fo u n d m o re c o n v e n ie n t.
T h e p a g in g , h ow e v e r, is c o n s e c u tiv e , a s is a lso th e n um b e r in g o f th e P la te s ,
th r o u g h o u t b o th o f th e p ro p o s e d v o lum e s , a s th e n um b e r in g o f t h e P la te s h a d h e e ii
s e ttle d 'b e f o r e th e id e a o f a su b d iv is io n o f th e w o rk o c c u rre d to u s.
I t rem a in s o n ly to t h a n k th e m a n y f r ie n d s w h o h a v e in te r e s te d th em s e lv e s in o u r
la b o u rs , a n d to a s s u r e th em t h a t th e lo n g d e la y in t h e c om p le tio n o f th e v o lum e s lias
b e e n c a u se d bv th e p re s s u re o f official w o rk , a n d a lso b y a d e s ire to m a k e th e h o o k as
c om p le te a ‘ J lo n o g r a p h ’ a s w a s p o ssib le . T h u s g r e a t a t t e n t io n h a s b e e n d e v o te d to th e
migx'ation a n d g e o g r a p liic a l d is tr ib u tio n o f th e in t e r e s tin g b ird s o f n h ic h th e v o lum e s
t r e a t , a n d wc h o p e t h a t th e in tro d u c tio n o f th e “ T a b le s o f G e o g ra p h ic a l D is tr ib u tio n ,”
w i th th e sym b o ls a g r e e d u p o n b y th e “ S e co n d I n t e r n a t io n a l C o n g re s s ” a t B u d a p e s t, w ill
be fo u n d in s tr u c tiv e , a s w e ll a s th e i llu s tr a tio n , b y m e a n s o f co lo u re d m a p s , o f th e
r a n g e o f e a c h species.
To o u r e x c e lle n t p r in te r s , M e s s rs . Taylor a n d F k a x c is , w e owe o u r lic a r tie s t
a c k n ow le d gm e n ts fo r th e c a re a n d a t t e n t io n th e y h a v e sh ow n . T h e c o lo u rin g o f th e
P la te s h a s b e e n e x e c u te d b y M is s B e r t i i .v SnARPE a n d M is s D ora S u a u p e , w i th th e
oc c a s io n a l h e lp o f th e i r s is te rs E m il y a n d E va . I n th e e a rly p a r ts th e y w e re a s s is te d
b v M is s F lo r en c e W il so n .
•\ugust 3, 1894.
I I . B O W D L E U S I IA B P E .
C L A U D E W . W Y A T T .