PREFACE. V 



Mr. Charles Darwin, Sir J. Hooker, Professor Huxley, Sir 

 J. Lubbock, Prof. W. H. Flower, and by Mr. Sclater him- 

 self, and presented to the Secretary of State for India. This 

 memorial recommended the preparation of a series of Hand- 

 books of Indian Zoology and my appointment as Editor. It 

 is scarcely necessary to add that to the recommendation of 

 men so highly respected and so well known in the world of 

 Science the publication of the present ' Fauna of British 

 India ' is greatly due, and that Mr. Sclater is entitled to the 

 thanks of all interested in the Zoology of India for the im- 

 portant part he took in the transaction. I can only express 

 a hope that the present series as a whole may be worthy of 

 the distinguished support to which, in so great a degree, it 

 owes its origin. 



With the publication of this part six out of the seven 

 volumes in which it was originally proposed to describe the 

 Vertebrata of British India have been completed. The 

 remaining volume of Birds will be undertaken at once. I 

 am glad to be able to announce that the ' Fauna of British 

 India ' will not be confined to Vertebrata, the preparation of 

 three volumes on Moths by Mr. G. F. Hampson having been 

 commenced. 



W. T. BLANFORD. 



November 30th, 1891. 



