116 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



measure to avail myself of the hints conveyed in the pages of his 

 grand work, which may now be considered the common property 

 of all workers in tliis branch. My object now is to agitate for an 

 uniform method in treating of the distribution of species in minor 

 areas, and not to consider the more general and wider aspect of 

 the subject in relation to the great primary regions of the earth. 

 This part of the subject stands already on a secure basis, 

 thanks to the work of some of our leading naturalists, foremost 

 amongst whom are the lanrels due to Dr P. L. Sclater, who 

 was the first to grasp the varied facts at his command, and mould 

 them into the one great plan of the Zoological regions, as at 

 present adopted by Mr AVallace, and followed by nearly all 

 workers in Distribution;* a plan which has stood the test of 

 discussion and criticism since its inauguration by Dr Sclater in 

 185G, and which appears again, with scarcely any alteration, in Mr 

 Wallace's work. 



]\luch may be learned by a study of Mr Wallace's methods, 

 as shown in the tables appended to the sections treating of the 

 different great regions ; however, I humbly consider that method 

 is even more necessary in the genesis of such work than in its 

 final results, and that in smaller areas there are more minutiae 

 available for record than are perhaps necessary in wider general- 

 izations. 



What we require, then, to consider may be stated thus : — 



" An uniform method to be estabUshed for the registration of 

 facts connected with the distribution and migration of species m 

 limited areas, which can be made available by field naturalists, and 

 afterwards by cabinet naturalists, for wider generalization." 



It is not my intention here to review or criticise the methods 

 of previous authors at length, but I may be permitted shortly 

 to speak of a few by name, referring you to personal study 

 of their methods, for comparison and adoption, or for rejection in 

 part or in whole. 



Beginning at home, I will first instance a most excellent paper, 

 by Mr A. G. More, " On the Distribution of Birds in Great 

 Britain during the nesting season" ('Ibis,' I8G0, p. 1). As 

 applied to a Zoologically-known area, it has much to recommend 

 it, but it can scarcely be applied to a partially or wholly unknown 



• Vkle Sclater (Jour. Proc. Linn. Soc, vol. ii., Zoology, p. 130); Gunther 

 (Proc Zool. Soc, 1858); Huxley (Proc. Zool. Soc. 18G8). 



