Short yutices. 127 



It may, perhaps, be not out of place to give here a brief 

 review of the whole undertaking. 



The Series of Works dealing with the Fauna of Africa 

 South of the Zambesi and Cunene Rivers was planned by 

 Mr. W. L. Sclater, M.A., F.Z.S., Director of the South 

 African Museum, Cape Town. That part of the series which 

 related to Birds was placed in the hands of Dr. A. C, Stark, 

 a most capable naturalist, who, unlike the General Editor, 

 Mr. Sclater, was able to devote the whole of his time to the 

 work in hand. Some systematic work of the proposed 

 character was much needed, the most recent volume of a 

 general nature, that of Sharpe's Edition of Layard's ' Birds of 

 South Africa' (published 1875-1884), being alroady'quite out 

 of date, and much material having been since accumulated 

 and only to be found scattered throughout the pages of various 

 Ornithological Journals. 



The first volume was issued in 1900, its compiler unfortu- 

 nately not being alive to view its success : on the outbreak of 

 the second Boer war Dr. Stark volunteered as a medical 

 officer and proceeded to Ladysmith, where, on the 10th Nov., 

 1899, he was killed by a shell whilst he was standing at the 

 door of the Royal Hotel : a sad and irreparable loss. En- 

 trusted by the deceased's executors with all the material 

 already collected, Mr. Sclater issued the second volume in 

 1901, the third in 1903, and the fourth and last this year. 



Supplementary material was also published in the ' Annals 

 of the South African Museum,' vol. iii. part 8 (1905). 



The extent of the whole work can be fairly gauged when 

 it is stated that the first volume consisted of 322 pages and 

 over 80 illustrations, the second volume of 323 pages, a map, 

 and 83 illustrations, the third of 416 pages and 141 illustra 

 tions, and the fourth of 545 pages and 163 illustrations. 



The first volume deals with about half of the Passerine 

 Birds and details the members of the Corvidae, Sturnidae, 

 Oriolidse, Ploceidse, Fringillidfe, Alandidse, Motacillidae, 

 Certhiidae, Promeropidse, Nectariniidae, Zosteropidse, and 

 Paridfe. 



The second volume concludes the Passerine Order and 

 VOL. II. 11 



