[ Plate XLIV.—TELMATODYTES PALUSTRIS, (Wils.) Baird.—Long-billed Marsh Wren. ]
[ Plate XLV.—COCCYZUS AMERICANUS, (Linn.) Bp.—Yellow-billed Cuckoo. ]
[ Plate XLVI.—ICTERIA VIRENS, (Linn.) Baird.—Yellow-breasted Chat. ]
[ Plate XLVII.—HÆMATOPUS PALLIATUS, Temm.—American Oystercatcher. ]
[ Plate XLVIII.—CATHARTES AURA, (Linn.) Illig.—Turkey Buzzard. ]
[ Plate XLIX.—LOPHODYTES CUCULLATUS, (Linn.) Reich.—Hooded Sheldrake. ]
[ Plate L.—PHAINOPEPLA NITENS, (Sw.) Scl.—Black-crested Flycatcher. ]
Preface.
FOR many years we have been of opinion that a work on NESTS and EGGS, in life-like colors, would be a valuable acquisition to ornithological science, and meet a want that has long been felt to exist. After vainly hoping that some more competent person than the writer would see the necessity therefor, and take a step in the right direction, we were beginning to despair of any such enterprise being undertaken, when, to our surprise, two publications, partially of this character, loomed up in the literary horizon, one hailing from Ohio, and the other from New England; the former, a local publication, seemed of such high pecuniary value as to be beyond the public reach; while the latter, fully up to it in merit of learning, but illustrating merely the eggs, was destined to failure from the first, and, after running a brief career, has at last ceased to exist. Under these circumstances we embarked in the project, in the confident expectation that our ornithological friends and others would give us encouraging support.