Introduction to Gould's ' Birds of Asia.' 49 



Reichenow (J. f. O. 1877, pp. 25, 103), is only known to me by 

 the description, and I have placed it next to C. melanops, on 

 account of its having blackish-brown lores {" schwarzbraunen 

 Ziigel ") and being referred to as very near C. plebeius 

 (p. 25) ; but when I find it compared with C. jardinii 

 (p. 103) , I feel less certain of its true position in my key, 

 as it may be a connecting-link between C. kirki and C, 

 melanops. It would be a great advantage if all new species 

 which are not accurately figured were very fully described, 

 and a key given to show their natural position amongst their 

 most nearly allied species. 



Cretzschmar has scarcely received fair credit for his 

 valuable ' Atlas,' w^hich contains original descriptions and 

 illustrations of many specimens collected by Riippell in N.E. 

 Africa, previously only known by the MS. names attached 

 to the specimens by Rvippell. 



VII. — Introduction to Gould's ' Birds of Asia.' 

 By R. BowDLER Sharpe*. 



It having been suggested to us by ISIr. Sotheran, the 

 proprietor of the late Mr. Gould^s Ornithological Works, 

 that some few introductory remarks on the completion of 

 the 'Birds of Asia' (one of the works left unfinished 

 at Mr. Gould's death) would be acceptable to the Sub- 

 scribers, we have attempted to give a brief outline of the 

 history of Asiatic ornithology during the past thirty years. 

 It is difficult for us, whose path has been smoothed by the 

 labours of the excellent ornithologists who have devoted 

 themselves to the study of oriental birds, to carry our minds 

 back to the year 1850, when Mr. Gould commenced to write 

 the present work on the Birds of Asia, at a time when such 

 names as those of Hume, Blanford, Davison, David, Prje- 

 walsky, Severtzoff, and Swinhoe were unknown to fame. In 

 1850 the golden age of ornithology was but commencing, 



* [Reprinted, by permission, from the concluding number of Gould's 

 ' Birds of Asia,' recently issued. — Edc] 



SER. V. VOL. II. K' 



