xxii ' lNTKODUCT«»".
Europe had refused to take them. What! said I, shall the
last volume of the " Birds ,®f America" be HOW closed, at a
time when new species are in my hands ? No! And in spite
of threats from this quarter and that, that such ami such persons
would discontinue their subscriptions (which indeed they
have done, and refused to take the/few numbers that would
have rendered their copies complete), my wish to do all that
was in my power has been accomplished,:—All Dr TOWNSKXD'H
species, as well as some received through different channels,
have been published. To that enthusiastic naturalist and excellent
friend I am also deeply indebted for the valuable notes
which he lias forwarded to me through my friend KMVAIU)
HARRIS. •
I had the gratification•. fof r-eceiving at London a ,diplo*
ma from the Literal and, Historical i ;So®ety of Quebcc,* and
since then1 have been lavouredi with a list of, the birds which
have been observe® iu the environs-OIL that city; by WI I .UAH
SHEPPAED, Esq.; liis kidyJaaid son, for wMch I offer them my
most sincere thanks. • J aim also much indebted to the; members
of the Council of the Zoological Society of * London, wliw
have never ceased to furnish m'e with;a\1iatever. American
specimens their valuable nmseunr contains, allowing nie to
take them to my house. 1 am farther indebted to, my .excellent
and generous friend Professor;.!. TuJjlKSSj.oM.of Cambridge
lor the continuance of Ms jnost.kind-iseiTices to me :>"or
must I here omit mentioning the efficient .aid* I have received
from TUOMAS DURHAM WHH, Esq. .of Bogteadsthe* county
of Linlithgow, and3irMA<u.utvCARFKAK) Preserver of Animals
in Edinburgh, who have ldndlyi®ocur.ed ;ibr ;me: -Kiany:speci-
INTRODUCTION.
mens of British birds for comparison with such of our American
species as seemed to be identical.
For several years past l' have i'elt a great desire to place
before lhe world an account of the digestive organs of our
various birds. With this v iew! have, at a great expense, obtained
specimens preserved entire in spirits. In collecting
them «I have received the most effectual aid from several of my
American friends, residing in different parts of the, country;
and & particular from the Rev. Dr BACHMAX of Charleston in
South Carolina, Colonel THKODORK ANDKUSON of Baltimore, Dr
ItieiiAitt) HAUI.AN of Philadelphia, Dr THOMAS ¡M. BREWER of
Boston in Massachusetts, THOMAS M'Cru.oen, Esqv of Pictou in
Nova Scotia; ALEXANDER GORDON, Esq. of London, who wrote
toHavamiah for Flamingoes; JI:A.V'CII UWIIAND, Esq. who
sent me a pair of these birds from Matanzas in Cuba; and from
Captain NAPOLKON" CosiK oi'the United' States! Revenue: Service.
Besides the valuable contributions: of these friends; to whom my
warmest' thanks are due;-a vast number of specimens were procured
by tin* members of my several parties, • in Labrador, in
Texas; "and in various parteof thevUnited States, as well as
m-any'ipurchased frortiiMr WAajrofiNew ¥ork. An account
§f the digesitiVfe organs: and trachea of these, generally concise,
but oecasionMlyidf ^considerable length, you will find under
the articles to whi©h4hef" r&fter,in the present volume. These
anatomical descriptionsi as ^vell. as the sketches by which they
are sometimes illustrated,: have; been executed by my learned
friend Wittiik^nMfaEiiLEFVRA®, who in the most agreeable
manner consented to undertake the labour, by no means small,
of such1 a» task,! and: to whom those who are interested in the
progress of Ornithological science, as well as myself, must