A Preface. 



I have referred to the works of my predecessors in the same field 

 of inquiry, with the following abbreviations : — 



G = Gould's " Handbook of the Birds of Australia," 1865. 



R = Eamsay's " Tabular List of the Birds of Australia," 1888. 



C = Campbell's " Nests and Eggs of Austrahan Birds," 1900. 



N = North's " Nests and Eggs of Birds found Breeding in 

 Australia and Tasmania," 1901, &c. 



H = Hall's " Key to the Birds of Austraha," 1906. 



GREGORY M. MATHEWS. 



Langley Mount, Watford, Herts, England, 

 November, 1907. 



[letter.] 



Bi'itish Museum (Nat. Hist.), 



South Kensington, 20th Oct., 1907. 

 My Dear Sir, 



I have perused your " Handlist of Australian Birds " with much interest, 

 and it gives me great pleasure to welcome yovi to this Museum, where every 

 facility shall be given you for working out your project of publishing the 

 " Coloured Figures of the Birds of Australasia," and I ami glad to hear that 

 the Hon. Walter Rothschild has given you similar facilities at his museum at 

 Tring. 



I think it a wise step on your part to issue a " Handlist " of Australian 

 birds, as it will clear the ground before commencing your larger work, and 

 by your references to Gould, Eamsay, North, Campbell, and Hall, you will 

 give full credit to those excellent naturalists, who have laid the foundation 

 of all future work on the birds of Australia. 



No one can doubt that the time has arrived for the issue of a new work on 

 Australian birds, illustrated with coloured plates, as Gould's work has been 

 long out of print and is very costly. Since the date of his "Handbook," 

 too, a school of excellent observers has arisen in the southern continent, 

 whose work has greatly enlarged our knowledge of Australian ornithology. 

 Having lived in different parts of the continent yourself, and having now the 

 leisure for working, together with a very complete library of books on the 

 natural history of Australia, I know no one better equipped for such a task 

 as you are about to inflict on yourself. 



I feel certain, too, that the support of our colonial colleagues will be gladly 

 given to your endeavour, and I am also sure that they will receive full 

 acknowledgment for all their help. This is particularly necessary in a work 

 like yours, so that everyone who contributes shall recognise that his notes 

 will be published in extenso, and that he will receive the full credit for his 

 assistance. I am sure that your appeal for help will meet with a ready 

 response from Australian naturalists. 



As regards your " Handlist," I think that this will serve a useful purpose, 

 as it will supplement, to a certain degree, the useful " Key ' published by 

 Mr. Eobei't Hall, and the older lists of Gould and Dr. Ramsay, It will form 

 a groundwork for your larger publication, of which it may be considered the 

 starting-point. 



Wishing you every success. 



Believe me, 



Yours vei'y sincerely, 



R. BOWDLER SHARPE. 

 To Gregory M. Mathews. 



