INTRODUCTION xxiii 



In Appendix A to the present volume will be found 

 a general account of the ornithological results. A detailed 

 report will appear elsewhere, as also, it is hoped, a 

 complete account of the zoological work done by the 

 expedition. 



As the reader will learn from Mr. Wollaston's book, 

 the great physical difficulties of this unexplored part of 

 New Guinea and other unforeseen circumstances rendered 

 the work of the B.O.U. Expedition quite exceptionally 

 arduous ; and if the results of their exploration are not all 

 that had been hoped, it must be remembered that they 

 did all that was humanly possible to carry out the 

 dangerous task with which they had been entrusted. 

 Their work has added vastly to our knowledge of this 

 part of New Guinea, and though little collecting was 

 done above 4000 feet, quite a number of new, and, 

 in many cases, remarkably interesting forms were 

 obtained. 



There can be no doubt that when the higher ranges 

 between 5000 and 10,000 feet are explored, many other 

 novelties will be discovered and for this reason it has 

 been thought advisable to postpone the publication of 

 the scientific results of the B.O.U. Expedition until such 

 time as the second expedition under Mr. Wollaston has 

 returned in 19 13. 



The death of Mr. Wilfred Stalker at a very early 

 period of the expedition was a sad misfortune and his 

 services could ill be spared ; his place was, however, very 

 ably filled by Mr. Claude H. B. Grant, who arrived in 

 New Guinea some six months later. 



As all those who have served on committees must 



