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PREFACE. 



The completion of the Third Series of ' The Ibis ' seemed a 

 fitting opportunity to combine in one volume the indexes of 

 the eighteen volumes of the whole work, and thus lessen the 

 labour of reference, which had already become a serious task 

 to those consulting the pages of this Journal. My offer to 

 undertake this work having met with the approval of the 

 General ^Meeting of the British Ornithologists^ Union held 

 in May of last year (1878), and the necessary funds having 

 been provided, I immediately set about completing my pro- 

 ject. The preparation of the MS. was carried out as fol- 

 lows : — First the index of each volume was copied, the year 

 being added after the name of each species. The names in 

 these indexes were then combined in alphabetical order, and 

 a double copy made simultaneously by the use of transfer- 

 paper. In this copy the generic name was repeated in 

 brackets after each specific name. In one of these copies 

 the first generic name was erased, leaving the specific name 

 the initial word; in the other the second was erased. 

 Finally, the names in these two indexes were combined in 

 alphabetical order. To the general index thus prepared I have 

 added an index of the names of the species of birds and eggs 

 &c. figured in the plates of the three series. These are also 

 arranged in alphabetical order ; but in this case the generic 

 name alone is the initial word. It has been also suggested 

 that the indexes of subjects and authors contained in the 

 concluding volume of each series should be combined into a 

 third index; but this I consider hardly necessary at the 

 present time. These indexes are at present only three in 



