were being frequently issued. It was much to be regretted 

 that the President of the Union, Mr. W. L. Sclater, whose 

 concluding volume in the series ' The Fauna of South Africa : 

 Birds^ had x'eceutly come from the press, had now given up 

 his post as Director of the South African Museum, Cape Town, 

 and had left this country to reside in England ; not only did 

 this action cause him to resign from the Presidency of the 

 Union, but it was a loss to ornithologists in this country, as 

 his work, knowledge, and energy were certainly unequalled 

 by any other resident ornithologist. These losses, however, 

 it was the duty and the hope of the Union to fill, and from 

 the younger generation of enthusiastic students now coming 

 ■ to the fore it was to be hoped that there would be found some 

 who might in some degree worthily follow in the footsteps of 

 those who had preceded them. 



Mr. J. A. S. BucKNiLL, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. (Joint- 

 Editor, Journal S.A.O.U.), also responded to the toast on 

 behalf of the Editorial C^onnnittee of the Journal. He said 

 that the side of ornithology which perhaps enlisted the widest 

 sympathy was the practical side relating to the harm or utility 

 of birds in their relation to agriculture. Whilst many reports 

 had already been received by the Editors of the Union's 

 Journal as to the depredations amongst the crops caused by 

 various species of birds, it was, on the other hand, a well- 

 known fact that many birds of beauty and note which were 

 formerly deemed to be harmful were, as a matter of fact, of 

 utility and value in the destruction of the insect pests which 

 were one of the farmer's curses in this and other countries. 



South Africa presented an enormous field for useful study 

 both on this and on the more scientific side of ornithology. 

 Little or nothing was known as to the migratory movements 

 of birds — whence they come, why they move and where they 

 go ; there were, doubtless, also many new species still unre- 

 corded and undescribed, whilst the habits and eggs of even 

 many common birds in South Africa were still quite unknown. 

 Systematic ornithologists all over the world were now 

 attempting to find out many interesting facts, such as the 

 common origin of birds, the relationship those of different 



a 2 



