A Monograph of the Jacamars and Puff-Birds, Or Families Galbulidæ and Bucconidæ (Classic Reprint)

Book excerpt: Excerpt from A Monograph of the Jacamars and Puff-Birds, or Families Galbulidae and Bucconidae The Jacamars and Puff-birds formed the subject of some of my earliest studies in Ornithology. Of the former of these families I published a Synopsis in 1852, of the latter in 1856. Since those dates I have not failed to add to my series of examples of both these groups Whenever the Opportunity has presented itself. Assisted by the additional materials thus acquired, and by the excellent collection of the birds of both these groups in the cabinets of my friends Salvin and Godman (which has been placed unreservedly at my service), it has been a great pleasure to me to go over former ground and to do my best to give a complete account of what-iscas yet known of the Jacamars and Puff-birds. I trust that the work now completed will be found worthy to rank along with other similar well-known Monographs that have been lately issued, and to find a place next to them on the book-shelves of my brother Naturalists. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.