IV PREFACE. 



Principalityv able and williug to undertake an investigation of the 

 fauna of the districts in which they reside, to acquaint them with the 

 desirability of collecting information, and to point out to them the 

 medium which this Journal affords for the publication of their 

 observations. 



To a certain extent these remarks will apply to some of the more 

 remote parts of Ireland which, from the naturalist's point of view, are 

 still imperfectly known. 



It should be borne in mind that one of the chief objects of this 

 Journal is to aid in the collection of materials for a better knowledge 

 of the British Fauna than at present can be acquired from the 

 perusal of any existing publications. And here it may be observed 

 that the researches of its contributors should not be limited solely to 

 the Vertebrates, but should extend also to the Invertebrates, excepting 

 perhaps the Insecta, to the special study of which other journals (the 

 ' Entomologist ' and the ' Entomologists' Monthly Magazine ') are 

 already particularly devoted. 



The recent establishment of a Marine Biological Laboratory at 

 Plymouth cannot fail to be productive of the most important scientific 

 results in this direction ; at the same time, naturalists who are resident 

 on other parts of the coast may materially aid the cause of science 

 which such an institution is designed to promote, by communicating 

 the results of their researches into the life-history of many marine 

 forms, especially amongst the MoUusca and Crustacea, about which we 

 are still profoundly ignorant. Unhappily, attention has been too 

 much restricted to an examination of external form, the internal 

 structure being almost entirely neglected. In this direction a wide 

 field of labour remains to be explored. 



It need not, however, be supposed that the scope of ' The 

 Zoologist ' is limited to the study of British Zoology, although this 

 naturally claims a large share of attention. The Editor is always 

 pleased to receive zoological communications, to whatever part of the 

 world they may relate. It should not be forgotten that the British 

 Islands form but a very small portion of the British Empire, and the 

 more we can learn of the Zoology of other parts of the world, the 

 better shall we be informed of the productions of our own country. 

 In fact, without such extension of knowledge we should know next to 

 nothing of the species which in our lists come under the designation 

 of periodical migrants and accidental visitors. 



In offering these few remarks by way of Preface to the volume for 

 1887, the Editor trusts that during the year to come he may continue 

 to receive as heretofore, h-om all parts of the country, a proof in the 

 shape of useful contributions to this Journal, that public interest in 

 Zoology is in no way subsiding. 



