The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds, Volume 1

The Nests and Eggs of Indian
Birds, Volume 1

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Volume 1,
by Allan O. Hume, Edited by Eugene William Gates
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Title: The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds, Volume 1
Author: Allan O. Hume
Release Date: August 5, 2004 [eBook #13117]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE NESTS AND EGGS OF INDIAN BIRDS, VOLUME 1
by
ALLAN O. HUME, C.B.
Second Edition.
Edited by Eugene William Gates Author of "A Handbook to the Birds
of British Burmah and of the Birds in the Fauna of British India,"
With Four Portraits.
London
1889

[Illustration: ALLAN OCTAVIAN HUME]
[Illustration: ALERE FLAMMAM]

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
I have long regretted my inability to issue a revised edition of 'Nests
and Eggs.' For many years after the first Rough Draft appeared, I went
on laboriously accumulating materials for a re-issue, but subsequently
circumstances prevented my undertaking the work. Now, fortunately,
my friend Mr. Eugene Gates has taken the matter up, and much as I
may personally regret having to hand over to another a task, the
performance of which I should so much have enjoyed, it is some
consolation to feel that the readers, at any rate, of this work will have
no cause for regret, but rather of rejoicing that the work has passed into
younger and stronger hands.
One thing seems necessary to explain. The present Edition does not
include quite all the materials I had accumulated for this work. Many
years ago, during my absence from Simla, a servant broke into my
museum and stole thence several cwts. of manuscript, which he sold as
waste paper. This manuscript included more or less complete
life-histories of some 700 species of birds, and also a certain number of
detailed accounts of nidification. All small notes on slips of paper were
left, but almost every article written on full-sized foolscap sheets was
abstracted. It was not for many months that the theft was discovered,
and then very little of the MSS. could be recovered.
It thus happens that in the cases of some of the most interesting species,
of which I had worked up all the notes into a connected whole, nothing,
or, as in the case of Argya subrufa, only a single isolated note, appears
in the text. It is to be greatly regretted, for my work was imperfect
enough as it was; and this 'Selection from the Records,' that my
Philistine servant saw fit to permit himself, has rendered it a great deal
more imperfect still; but neither Mr. Oates nor myself can be justly
blamed for this.
In conclusion, I have only to say that if this compilation should find
favour in any man's sight he must thank Mr. Oates for it, since not only
has he undergone the labour of arranging my materials and seeing the

whole work through the press--not only has he, I believe, added himself
considerably to those materials--but it is solely owing to him that the
work appears at all, as I know no one else to whom I could have
entrusted the arduous and, I fear, thankless duty that he has so
generously undertaken.
ALLAN HUME.
Rothney Castle, Simla, October 19th, 1889.

EDITOR'S NOTE.
Mr. Hume has sufficiently explained the circumstances under which
this edition of his popular work has been brought about. I have merely
to add that, as I was engaged on a work on the Birds of India, I thought
it would be easier for me than for anyone else to assist Mr. Hume. I was
also in England, and knew that my labour would be very much
lightened by passing the work through the press in this country.
Another reason, perhaps the most important, was the fear that, as Mr.
Hume had given up entirely and absolutely the study of birds, the
valuable material he had taken such pains to accumulate for this edition
might be irretrievably lost or further injured by lapse of time unless
early steps were taken to utilize it.
A few words of explanation appear necessary on the subject of the
arrangement of this edition. Mr. Hume is in no way responsible for this
arrangement nor for the nomenclature employed. He may possibly
disapprove of both. He, however, gave me his manuscript unreservedly,
and left me free