viii PREFACE. 



Professor Alfred Newton, F.R. S., has favoured me with much 

 information that has been incorporated. My obligations to Dr. 

 Sclater and Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell are again acknowledged ; 

 without the facilities granted by them it would have been useless 

 to attempt the task. Mr. Arthur Ashbridge, District Surveyor of 

 Marylebone, invited me to examine his records concerning the 

 Gardens. Mr. R. I. Pocock has assisted me in matters of 

 identification. My old friends Mr. F. H. Waterhouse and 

 Mr. J. Barrow rendered valuable help — indeed, everybody at 

 Hanover Square evinced an interest in the work that was 

 extremely gratifying. 



The Council of the Linnean Society courteously gave me 

 ready access to the Swainson Correspondence, and the 

 General Secretary, Mr. B. Daydon Jackson, was equally 

 obliging with respect to the few records that exist of the 

 Zoological Club; these were first shown me by my friend 

 Mr. J. E. Harting, at Dr. Sclater's request, when I was en- 

 gaged on the "Short History." For the photograph of the 

 Okapi (Plate 47) in Tring Museum, I am indebted to the Hon. 

 Walter Rothschild, M.P. ; to Mr. H. D. Crompton for that of 

 the interesting statuette of George the Fourth's Nubian Girafi'e 

 (Plate 2), and to my friend Mr. H. E. Dresser for the in- 

 formation, too late for insertion in its proper place, that 

 Dr. Crisp bought the stuffed skin of that animal when the 

 Museum collection was dispersed. Lastly, I should be in the 

 highest degree ungrateful if I did not include my wife among 

 those to whom my warmest thanks are due. She has shared 

 in all my labours ; and if, as I hope, the book be of permanent 

 value, I, at least, shall ascribe no small part of the credit to 

 her help and encouragement. Henry Scherren. 



