140 Short JS'odces. 



of Professor Anton Reichenow's ' Die Vogol Afrikas ' is con- 

 cluded a most important contribution to the Standard 

 Ornithological publications of the world. It is not easy for 

 the lover of Nature, whose liking for Field Natural History 

 and perhaps a special taste for ornithology may perhaps 

 occupy occasionally a few leisure hours snatched from a busy 

 week of professional work, to realize that the whole life-work 

 of some men is devoted solely and entirely to the study of 

 that Science to which the amateur lends a casual though 

 deep interest ; nor is it possible, unless one happens to be 

 brought into close personal contact with the life and work of 

 the leading ornithological specialists, to fully appreciate the 

 vast knowledge which such specialists obtain during the course 

 of their life-long studies and the huge gulf which separates 

 such knowledge from the cursory acquaintance with Bii-ds 

 which is possible to the non-professional ornithologist. 

 Dr. Reichenovt^'s name is one which is known and respected 

 throughout the world, and with the completion of his 

 monumental work he has finally sealed his reputation as one 

 of if not the foremost ornithologists of all time. The three 

 volumes, each of which consists of some six to eight hundred 

 pages of text, which are completed by a fourth volume of 

 coloured plates and maps, deal with all the known species of 

 Birds which occur in the Continent of Africa — 2381 in 

 number. 



It is, of course, not a final work ; much, very much, still 

 remains for future explorers ; many great areas of vast extent 

 still remain practically unexplored ; many parts (indeed most) 

 of Africa have not yet been more than casually worked ; 

 many actual species and forms may have found their way 

 into the Museums of Europe, America, and South Africa but 

 of the life-history of African Birds Science is still, in ; the 

 vast majority of cases, woefully ignorant. 



As a basis for future investigation Dr. Reichenow^s publi- 

 cation must always hold a classic and permanent position, 

 and although to those who unfortunately are in the unhappy 

 position of being unable to read the German language this 

 work will be at present more or less useless, to the lucky 



