able to ascertain personally or from others, is set forth in my Rough Draft of "Eggs and Nests" of Indian Birds, Part I., of which has just been printed, and the two remaining parts of which will be available during the course of this present year. I venture to hope, that a perusal of this will show many "bird fanciers" and sportsmen, as well as ornithologists, that much information possessed by them is as yet not generally known, and that they will make it so through the pages of Stray Feathers.
As to distribution again much remains to be worked out, and the importance of careful local faunas, in a vast region like that with which we deal, and in which, as it were, the Palæarctic and Palætropic faunas meet, cannot be overrated.
No special scientific knowledge is necessary for the preparation of these—a man has only to collect steadily, in almost any locality for a year or eighteen months, one or two specimens of every species he can come across in his neighbourhood, to note, so far as practicable, in regard to each, whether they are rare or common, whether they are permanent residents or seasonal visitants, and if the latter, when they arrive and when they leave; whether they breed in his neighbourhood, and if so, when; what their nests are like, where they are situated, how they are composed, how many eggs they lay, and what these are like, and what their dimensions are; what the nestlings and what the young birds are like; what localities and what food the birds affect, and, even if he does all this very, very imperfectly in regard to a vast number of species, he will still (after his birds have been identified) possess materials for a most useful and instructive local avifauna, such as the most critical professed ornithologist will welcome cordially.
May I not hope that some of my supporters will turn their especial attention to local avifaunas such as that contributed by Mr. R. M. Adam to this present volume?
In conclusion, I must crave indulgence, especially from European readers, who have no conception of the difficulties attending the printing of works of this nature in India, for the many typographical errors that have—anything but adorned—our pages. In this as in other matters we shall try to improve, and in the mean time, I would pray all, both Indian and European, readers to be
"To our sad faults a little blind,
To our small merits, very kind!"
Calcutta,
December 1st, 1873.
