Mr. J. H. Gurney's List of Birds of Prey. 389 



It remains for further and more extended examination to 

 show us with what external characters these various modifica- 

 tions of the sternum accord^ and with what degree of constancy. 

 The foregoing investigations, however, lead us to the conclusion 

 that any considerable difference in external characters is accom- 

 panied with some modification or other in the form of the 

 sternum. 



And now I can readily fancy that, if any of the readers of this 

 Magazine have taken the trouble to follow me to this point, 

 they will be rather likely to exclaim, "Why all this about a 

 Blackbird and a Thrush ? for it is of them that chief mention is 

 made, and it could scarcely be worth while to take up so much 

 space about such very common species : surely we did not want 

 to hear so much about them." Let me assure them that they 

 are mistaken. If they are genuine zoologists they do want to 

 hear all this and a great deal more, but in a more extended 

 and better digested form than I have been able to give it, and 

 with a more general knowledge of the method of working it 

 out than I possess. 



In order to arrive at a definite and truthful conclusion in a 

 question like the one I have here propounded, it is absolutely 

 necessary that we go through a great amount of laborious and 

 minute comparison of part with part of many species before we 

 can safely generalize ; and the commonest species will furnish 

 materials of value quite equal to what we can obtain of the rarer 

 ones, with this striking advantage — that we can readily multiply 

 our opportunities of investigation, and thereby prune away errors 

 that are sure to find their way into restricted labours, even of 

 the most watchful. And, besides, the commoner the species, 

 the easier it is for every one to corroborate or refute what has 

 been advanced. 



XXXVII. — List of Birds of Prey received from Beyrout. 

 By John Henry Gurney, M.P., F.Z.S. 



The following is a list of Birds of prey, of which specimens 

 collected in Syria have recently been sent to me by Mr. Louis 

 Lauretta of Beyrout. I may, perhaps, be allowed to add that 



