A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BcO.U. 19 



.2. A Short Histonj of the British Ornithologists' Union. 

 By P. L. ScLATER, D.Sc, F.R.S. 



I. — The Founding of the B. O. U. 



In consequence of some of the documents relating to the 

 early days of the British Ornithologists' Union having been 

 lost or mislaid, it is not possible to give a complete account 

 of the origin of the association ; but it is believed that the 

 following extracts from the Preface to the first volume of 

 'The Ibis' contain an accurate description of the circum- 

 stances under Avhicii the British Ornithologists' Union was 

 formed : — 



" For some years past a few gentlemen attached to the 

 '^ studv of Ornithology, most of them more or less intimately 

 "connected with the University of (Cambridge, had been in 

 ''the habit of meeting together, once a year, or oftener, to 

 ''exhibit to one another the various objects of interest 

 " which had occurred to them, and to talk over both 

 " former and future plans of adding to their knowledge of 

 "this branch of Natural History. 



" These meetings were found agreeable by those who 

 " attended them, and gradually became more frequented. 

 "In the antumn of 1857 the gathering of naturalists 

 " was greater than it had hitherto been, and it appeared 

 " that there was a strong feeling that it would be advisable 

 " to establish a Magazine devoted solely to Ornithology. 



"This feeling was not prompted by any jealousy of 

 "periodicals already existing, but by the belief that the 

 " number of persons Avho turned their attention jii'iwcipalh 

 " to this one branch of Zoology was at any rate sufficiently 

 " great to justify an experiment which in a neighbouring 

 " country, and among a kindred nation, had succeeded so 

 " well. 



" The meeting [which was held at Cambridge] therefore 

 " broke up with the understanding that in the following 

 "year the subject should be again considered. During the 



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