302 THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



honorary members : such appointments reflect equal honour upon 

 the two parties. We hope that Dr. Burchell, in this well-deserved 

 compliment, will perceive that he is not yet forgotten in the scien- 

 tific world, which (alas for the interests of science !) he has of late 

 too much deserted ; and we hail his acceptance of this honour as a 

 pledge that he will thrust his sickle into the harvest of knowledge 

 which he possesses in his close-sealed collections ; that he will do 

 tardy justice to science, to his friends who are anxious for his fame, 

 and (though last, not least) to himself. 



The free exhibition of living birds in the public parks would 

 alone stamp this Society with the mark of pre-eminent liberality. 

 Our country friends can have little notion of the extraordinary in- 

 terest which is created by the collection of aquatic birds in St. 

 James's Park. On Sundays the banks of the lake are even incon- 

 veniently crowded with thousands upon thousands of people. It is, 

 indeed, an attractive sight ; the locale itself is particularly beauti- 

 ful, and the numerous young broods that are just now upon the 

 water add greatly to the interest of the scene. The advantages of 

 introducing suitable foreign birds into this country are too obvious 

 to be mentioned ; they are exemplified in the Pheasant, Turkey, 

 and Canary Bird. The publication of scientific and practically 

 useful works on Ornithology will be a boon of incalculable value. 

 With regard to the museum and library, we will only say we are 

 glad that a foundation of each has been already laid, and we hope 

 that the suggestion which Mr. Vigors made at the general meeting 

 will be attended to, namely, that the Zoological Society should 

 present their duplicate birds to the museum of the new institution. 



The periodical meetings and lectures will be interesting, and in 

 many ways useful ; and in estimating the advantages of prize 

 shews of birds we have only to refer to the analogous shews of the 

 horticultural societies. You have exhibitions of fruit and flowers- 

 why not have exhibitions of birds .'* We must now take a quarter's 

 leave of the Ornithological Society of London. May it never dis- 

 appoint our expectations ! 



