2 BRITISH BIRDS. 



attractive and as valuable as those we have now the good 

 fortune to announce. Of these, some, we hope, will bear 

 on the themes to be presently suggested. 



Not the least interesting matter in our new programme 

 will be, we venture to think, the series of essays on Early 

 British Ornithologists and their Work, by Mr. W. H. 

 Mullens. As many of our readers doubtless know, there 

 are few men so able to appraise the work of these old 

 authors as Mr. Mullens, who has for some time been 

 engaged in the study of these early authors, and during 

 that time he has brought together an extensive collection 

 of their books, many of which are quite inaccessible to the 

 working ornithologist, and these are to be drawn upon for 

 our benefit. There are some, indeed, who seem inclined 

 to decry the labours of these pioneers — who mark only 

 the inaccurate and, sometimes, absurd statements which 

 passed with them for knowledge, and forget how difficult 

 were the conditions under which they were compelled to 

 labour. But the spirit of kindly appreciation shown by 

 Mr. Mullens will enable us to realize that libraries in those 

 days, even where they existed, were not easily accessible ; 

 and the dangers and difficulties of travel, even within 

 the confines of Great Britain, were greater than we can 

 readily imagine. We are, in short, inclined to forget that 

 we have entered into their labours, and have built upon 

 the foundations which they laid. 



There are many aspects of the bionomical, or, as some 

 prefer to call it, the oecological side of our study which 

 demand more attention than they have generally met 

 with among ornithologists of this country. And we hope 

 that some of our readers may be induced to send us 

 contributions on such subjects, for example, as bear upon 

 the influence of climate on plumage, and on the inter- 

 relations of species. On this last theme, there are 

 several important cases awaiting systematic investiga- 

 tion : such, for instance, as the effect of the increasing 

 numbers of Starlings on the Woodpecker; and of the 

 decrease in the Swallow-tribe through the pugnacity of 

 the House-Sparrow. How much of truth is there in the 

 isolated statements which, of recent years, have been 

 made on these subjects ? Many other kindred problems 

 will doubtless suggest themselves to our readers. 



