Recent Literature. 177 



" An undertaking of this sort is beset with formidable difficulties; not 

 only is its extent enormous, and the works relating to the subject are 

 widely scattered through many libraries, public and private : but the 

 qualifications of a good bibliographer are not easily to he found united in 

 one person. His application and industry must be untiring, and he must. 

 be thoroughly conversant with the art of Bibliography, in addition to 

 these requirements, in a case like the present, an equally thorough knowl- 

 edge of the subject under consideration is indispensable. You happily 

 combine all these qualifications; your industry has long been approved, 

 your knowledge of books is evident from what you have now put before 

 us, your knowledge of Ornithology has long been known to us. We can 

 well believe that the libraries of your own country are better stored than 

 any others with works relating to the Ornithology of North America, and 

 that therefore the ' List of Faunal Publications relating to North American 

 Ornithology ' could be nowhere better prepared than in Washington ; but 

 when the ornithological literature of the whole world has to be examined, 

 it stems to us almost indispensable that the older libraries of Europe, and 

 especially of England, France, Italy, Germany and Holland, should he 

 consulted, if one. of the chief merits of your work is to be maintained, viz : 

 — the consultation at first hand by yourself of every work mentioned 

 then in. 



"This brings us to one of the chief objects of this memorial, which is to 

 express our sincere hope that time and means will be found you to prose- 

 cute in Europe the great undertaking you have commenced so well, and 

 bring it to a successful conclusion. Should the authorities who preside 

 over the Department to which you belong — and especially the Surgeon- 

 General of the United States Army — who have hitherto so liberally 

 granted you facilities for the scientific work you have performed, be dis- 

 posed to furnish you with these means of perfecting your undertaking, we 

 are convinced that it will reflect great credit to them and the country to 

 which you belong. We on our part, so far as England is concerned, are 

 read}' not only to welcome a brother Ornithologist, but also to render you 

 every assistance in our power. 



"[Signed.] W. II. Fi.owki:, F.R.S., fyc, President of (he Zoologi- 

 cal Society of London. 



T. II. Huxley, Sec. R. S. 



Charles Darwin, -F.R.S. 



St. Geo. Mivabt, F.R.S., Sec. L. S. 



Alfred R. Wallace. 



A. Guknther, F.R.S. , Keeper of the Department of 

 Zoology, British Museum. 



Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A., Ph. Dr.. F.R.S., Sec- 

 retary to the Zoological Society of London. 



Alfred Newton, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., Professor of Zo- 

 ology in the University of Cambridge. 

 VOL. IV. 12 



