X. SOUTH AFRICAN BIRD-LIFE 



delightful study, beyond the limits of the few enthusiasts 

 and professionals engaged in its pursuit. This is all the 

 more surprising when we take into consideration the fact 

 that there is such an immense field for good and original 

 work amongst the fauna of this country, by reason of 

 this very neglect on the part of our predecessors. With 

 the exception of Messrs. A. D. Millar and Austin Roberts, 

 there are very few South-African-born students who have 

 taken the trouble to verify and extend the discoveries of 

 le Vaillant, Victorin, A. Smith, Burchell and Mr. Ayres, 

 and others of the old "pioneers" of South African 

 ornithology. 



With the help of the photographs in this book it should 

 not be difficult for anyone to recognise and determine a 

 good proportion of the members of the South African 

 avi-fauna, without having recourse to the task of skin- 

 ning. The latter is, however, learnt with a little patience 

 and practice, and will be found indispensable to anyone 

 taking up the study of ornithology in earnest. 



Notes on habits, coloration of soft parts, contents of 

 crops, dates, &c., should be carefully entered in a book 

 kept for the purpose. 



For information on skinning we would direct attention 

 to a little work of Rowland Ward's, 166, Piccadilly, 

 London, called the " Sportsman's Handbook " (price 

 three shillings and sixpence) ; and for further and more 

 scientific information on our birds, the four excellent 

 volumes on Birds by Dr. A. C. Stark and W. L. Sclater 

 in the "Fauna of South Africa" series must be con- 

 sulted. 



