PREFACE. 



Once more it becomes the pleasing duty of the Editor to 

 congratulate the readers of this Journal upon the completion 

 of another volume, forming the eighth of the Third Series, 

 and the forty-second since the commencement of its existence 

 in 1843. 



These congratulations are due to them rather than to 

 himself, for it has been mainly through their labours and 

 co-operation that the volume has been filled, and another 

 sheaf thus stored in the granary of Zoology. Of the quality 

 of the grain in this sheaf it might seem ungrateful to speak 

 in any but terms of praise, yet, like the farmer who is pro- 

 verbially "never satisfied," the Editor is always "hoping for 

 better times." The fact is, that with a little more labour on 

 the part of the reapers the value of the harvest might be 

 materially improved. 



If the Editor could persuade some of his younger con- 

 tributors to read more of the literature of the subjects on 

 which they write, and extend their observations some way 

 beyond the mere identification of a species, he is satisfied 

 that their communications to this Journal would not only 

 bring infinitely more credit to themselves, but would be of 

 greater utility to others. 



The literature of Zoology is now so extensive that one 

 can scarcely be expected to do much more than keep oneself 



