156 Movement respecting the Amalgamation 



dead by Mr. S. Geo. Amm of Salem, near Grahamstown, on- 

 February 6th, 1916, bearing a ring with the number 82620 

 and Witherby, High Holborn, London. This Swallow was 

 ringed as a nestling by ]\Ir. F. W. Sherwood at Lytham, 

 Lancashire, on July 3rd, 1915. This is tlie third Swallow 

 ringed under the ' British Birds ' scheme which has been 

 recorded from South Africa, the other two having been 

 previously reported in this journal. 



XV. — An Account of the Movement respecting the Amalga- 

 mation of the S.A. Ornithologists^ Union and the Traiisvaal 

 Biological Society. 



The attached circulars, which speak for themselves, were 

 sent out to all members, the first one in the beginning of 

 May, and not one dissentient reply was received. Forty 

 members wrote agreeing to the proposal, and of these quite 

 a large proportion supported the proposal with enthusiasm, 

 giving reasons why they considered the step advantngeous. 

 The main reasons for this are — firstly, in such a thinly- 

 populated country as South Africa, ornithology is too limited 

 a science to expect more than what was being done at 

 present ; secondly, it was felt that, this being so, it would 

 be better to convert ourselves into a larger society, with a 

 much broader scope nnd a much better chance of publishing 

 a regular journal ; thirdly, that the larger society would 

 appeal more strongly to the average amateur naturalist in 

 South Africa, for whom no present society makes adequate 

 provision at present. 



A suggestion was then made that the Transvaal Biological 

 Society, which has its headquarters in Pretoria and which 

 has so far met regularly every month, should amalgamate 

 with the S.A.O.U. to form tlie nucleus of a South African 

 Natural History or Biological Society. To devise ways and 

 means to this end a Committee was appointed to discuss the 

 matter. This Committee drew up certain proposals, and 

 called a meeting at Maritzburg at the time of the annual 

 Science Congress in Julv. This Committee consists of 



