PREFACE. 



The Two-hundred-and-fourth Number of ' The Ibis ' 

 concludes the Fifty-first Volume of our Journal. A s 

 will be seen by its contents, contributions have 

 by no means failed us, either in quantity or, we 

 believe, in quality. Lieut. Whitehead has shown us 

 that there is still something to be done in British 

 India, especially on its northern confines, which he 

 and Major Magrath have so successfully explored. 

 Mr. Bucknill proves to us that even the Island of 

 Cyprus is not yet thoroughly explored. Africa is 

 evidently still unexhausted, as the discovery of the 

 remarkable novelty described by Mr. Rothschild in the 

 present volume amply testifies. We are also strongly 

 supported in Africa by Mr. Bates in Kamerun and 

 Mr. Nicoll in Egypt, besides other old friends. We 

 have, in fact, excellent assistance in every part of the 

 world as regards Geographical Ornithology. But on 

 the Pterylography and Anatomy of Birds, without an 

 accurate knowledge of which our ' Systema Avium ' 

 must ever remain imperfect, we have still few workers 

 to assist us, and we could wish that some of our 

 younger brethren would take up these comparatively 

 neglected branches of our beloved Science. The 

 Editors, while truly thankful to all the Contributors 

 to ' The Ibis,' trust that they may receive a greater 



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