190 C0XTH115UT011S TO THK Fl K8T SKUIKS OF ^ THE 115IS.' 



habit of private collectors aiming at securing '^British 

 specimens " of birds or eggs. 



Another characteristic trait of Colonel Irby was his 

 strongly expressed contempt for that class of naturalists, 

 unfortunately not infrequently met with nowadays, who 

 appropriate the information obtained from others, usually 

 of wider experience and knowledge, and embody the same 

 in their Avritings and books without any acknowledgment. 



It was this deep-seated feeling which in later years often 

 made him loth to write on matters of unquestionable; 

 interest, especially to ornithologists^ for he argued that to 

 do so would be but to supply further material for un- 

 scrupulous book-makers ! 



It was whilst he was smarting under treatment of this sort, 

 that Lord Lilford and Col. Willoughly Verner were, happily, 

 successful in inducing Colonel Irby to bring out an enlarged 

 Second Edition of his admirable ' Ornithology of the 

 Straits of Gibraltar.' Lord Lilford supplied the fine 

 coloured plates which make so attractive a part of the 

 book^ while the present writer gave his own notes on 

 Southern Spain, covering the period 1874-1891, as well as 

 sundry illustrations, which were duly incorporated and 

 acknowledged in the most generous manner. This work, 

 published in 1895_, will probably remain the standard 

 authority on the Birds of S.W. Andalucia for an indefinite 

 time. 



It has sometimes been said that Colonel Irby failed to 

 record certain species which have since been proved to occur 

 in the districts described. This is to some extent true, but 

 is the best testimony to the accuracy and thoroughness of 

 his work; for he would never admit species into his lists 

 unless fully convinced personally as to their absolute 

 authenticity. In sundry " Lists of Birds observed,^' pub- 

 lished in recent years, it would have been well if Colonel 

 Irby's views on this point had been adopted. He never 

 ceased to make scathing allusions to the marvellous powers 

 claimed by some individuals " who profess to identify all 

 and every species within the range of their vision, even to 



