140 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Method of recording Observations.— By way of supplement to my 

 previous remarks under this heading, I may say that if the thousands of 

 records in the forty volumes of 'The Zoologist" were indexed, working 

 naturalists could make fuller use of tliem ; but as the proposition to issue 

 an Index appears to have fallen through from want of support, or from 

 some other cause unknown to rae, I suggested the method which I have 

 already described as a means of promptly indexing all records sent by any 

 correspondent from any part of the country. By the use of a counterfoil 

 or duplicate form, your county correspondents could always preserve a 

 chronological record of all county occurrences iu their own hands, whilst 

 also making them public, and county faunas would be far more easily 

 worked out by future historians, as these files could be lent or handed over 

 per post by the recorders to tbe historian who undertakes the w-ork. The 

 popular side of the question, and the subject of your editorial note, — in which 

 you object to the formality and defend the originality of observations, — can 

 also quite well be retained. Let each recorder, as usual, record in his own 

 words, as popularly and as anuisingly, or in as full detail as be chooses, — 

 tbe fuller the better,— but also let him use his forms, and fill in upon some 

 such plan as I suggest (and which is that used by our Committee on 

 Migration, or somewhat similar to it), also, in order to compress into smaller 

 space, and for easier record and reference, those important points wbich 

 should be prominent in such records. I fearLssly repeat, that had some 

 such method been in use for twenty years, or a much less time, in recording 

 Natural History plienomena, we should long ere this have had our present 

 knowledge of migration and other points quadrupled. Our experience as a 

 Migration Committee tells us this as plainly as an A B C. Notwithstanding 

 the editorial note, I hope it will yet be seen and understood that uniformity 

 in this respect need not in any way interfere with originality of observation. 

 They can quite well go hand in hand, by giving the original observations 

 first, and the formal record following it. Space in 'The Zoologist' is no 

 doubt valuable, but I feel convinced space would not be less valuable if 

 used in some such way. Perhaps the Editor could give a monthly register 

 in each number of ' The Zoologist' of all these occurrences, copied out from 

 the recorders' forms, in which case only a page or two need be thus occupied, 

 and the original observations can remain as usual in the text, with a 

 numerical reference to the Editor's register, which latter might be arranged 

 chronologically for further convenience. If this were done indexing would 

 be almost unnecessary, as whoever desires to write upon the birds of Great 

 Britain would have only to refer in future to tbe " Zoologist Monthly 

 Register," and run his finger down the records as he reads, and note off 

 under each county or district. I have no doubt some bints for the 

 elaboration of some such plan can be given by some of your correspondents ; 

 and I feel very sure that such would prove of real advantage and utility to 



