Page:Illustrations of Indian Ornithology.djvu/11

 INTRODUCTORY NOTICE.

The first part of the ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN ORNITHOLOGY is at length presented to the Public, after a greater delay in the publication than the Author was led to expect.

The ground-work and branches are from the pencil of a highly talented amateur Artist, and the Author here begs leave to tender his most grateful acknowledgments for his very valuable aid, which has contributed not a little to set off the drawings and embellish the work. Several of the plates, however, viz. Nos., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 12 were printed off before the Author became acquainted with that gentleman. Thirty additional copies of these plates being afterwards found necessary to meet the increasing list of Subscribers, the same Officer added a ground-work to these. The colourists were instructed to paint in to those first printed similar to that of the additional lithographs ; but, as might have been expected, they have not executed this part so well as the Author could have wished, and they were not allowed to finish all the copies. In consequence of this a difference, more marked in some than others, will be found among the plates mentioned above; and I trust that this explanation may prove sufficient to those who have the opportunity of comparing the two sets.

The 2d No. being entirely printed and partially coloured, will appear at no very distant interval, and the nature of its contents will probably make it more attractive than the present number.

Should the publication of the present series of fifty birds be, as there is every reason to anticipate, successful enough to repay the Author for the heavy expenses he has incurred, it will, immediately on completion, be followed by a second set of fifty more bids, and the two series will then include a very considerable number of the unfigured species of Peninsular India.

A classified Index will be given with the concluding No. which will notice any corrections of nomenclature that may be required.

November 3d, 1843.