PREFACE. 



As the whole of Mr. Gould's folio series of Zoological 

 Works bear the dates when they were completedj without 

 any reference to the dates and contents of the parts in 

 which the several species were figured (with the exception 

 of the 'Birds of Asia/ which was completed by Mr. R. 

 Bowdler Sharpe), and as I am afraid that before long it 

 will be quite impossible to ascertain these dates^ I have 

 thought it might prove useful to record those that I have 

 been able to obtain from their original covers ; and should 

 I get a sight of any not included in this list, to publish 

 them on some future occasion. If we look, for instance, 

 at the ' Mammals of Australia/ we shall find that all 

 three volumes bear the date 1863; but the first part of 

 this work appeared in the year 1845. 



I am greatly indebted to Mr. R. H. Porter for aiding me 

 in this work by saving for my inspection the whole of 



