'Unabridged and unaltered republication of the work first published in 1950 as Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum bulletin 197.'

This is the eighteenth in a series of bulletins of the United States National Museum on the life histories of North American birds, with previous numbers issued as follows: 107, 113, 121, 126, 130, 135, 142, 146, 162, 167, 170, 174, 176, 179, 191, 195, 196. This bulletin deals with the Order Passeriformes, specifically the Families of Prunellidae (Accentors) ; Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits) ; Bombycillidae (Waxwings) ; Ptilogonatidae (Silky flycatchers) ; Laniidae (Shrikes) ; Sturnidae (Starlings) ; Vireonidae (Vireos) of North America.

With more than 5,000 works cited, Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World is the greatest compendium of information ever published on hybridization in birds. Worldwide in scope, it provides information on all reported avian crosses, not only those occurring in captivity, but also in a natural setting (approximately 4,000 crosses are covered). This book is a basic reference, intended both for the serious birder and the professional biologist. McCarthy's work fills a need for reference material that takes into account the last half century of data. It will be of interest to workers in a wide variety of fields, ranging from animal behavior to genetics, ecology, zoology, and systematics. In fact, it will make fascinating reading for anyone interested in birds and the natural world.