PREFACKE. 
—<—_‘———— 
Anoruer year is drawing to a close, and in recalling this fact 
it becomes the pleasing duty of the Editor to congratulate his con- 
tributors on the completion of another volume of ‘ The Zoologist.’ 
Through the medium of this Journal during 1881 much good 
work has been accomplished, much commenced which will doubtless 
bear fruit in due time. In this latter category may be included the 
scheme which has been organised for obtaining evidence from the 
keepers of lighthouses and lightships concerning the arrival and 
departure of migratory birds on the coasts of England and Scotland. 
The reports on this subject, which have been already published,* 
encourage the hope that ere long a satisfactory solution may be found 
of the many curious questions affecting the subject of the Migration 
of Birds. In the same category may be placed the excellent chapters 
by Messrs. Carrington and Lovett on British Stalk-eyed Crustacea, in 
course of publication, which, we doubt not, will have the effect of 
popularising a branch of Zoology which has hitherto not found much 
favour with British naturalists. 
On glancing through ‘ The Zoologist’ for 1881, we cannot fail to 
recognise many other papers which, like those just referred to, are of 
permanent value, and will be turned to again and again by those 
seeking information on the subjects of which they treat. Amongst 
these may be especially noted Mr. Harvie Brown’s chapters on the 
Rarer Animals of Scotland (pp. 8-28, 81-90, 161-171) ; Professor 
Schlegel’s paper on the habits of the Harvest Mouse (p. 283); Mr. 
Potts’s account of the habits of that singular carnivorous Parrot of 
New Zealand, the Kea (p. 290) ; Mr. Norgate’s collected observations 
on the food of Birds (pp. 318-325, 410-418) ; and Mr. Freke’s paper 
on European Birds observed in North America (pp. 365-878). 
Besides these we have two very useful Catalogues of the Mollusca 
of York and of the Isle of Man, contributed respectively by Mr. R. M. 
Christy and the Rev. 'T. Talbot. 
2% * See «The Zoologist’ for May, 1880, and October, 1481. 
