I have tried to present this material in a realistic manner, from the very Special point of view of the active field omithologist, for it has been my privilege to work at close hand with most of these birds in their natural wilderness habitats. These have been my own experiences and heartaches and adventures, and for the most part this is my personal account. But it is also, and perhaps more sig nificantly, a part of the history of the National Audubon Society, the organization that has fought so valiantly for the birds of America and that has made these studies of our threatened Species possible. It is the author's h0pe that those who read this book may have as a result a better understanding and appreciation of the scope and importance of the Society's high purpose and many accomplishments.