Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, S^c. 363 



publication of an annual volume, which would give English 

 zoologists the same advantages as their German brethren had 

 long derived from the time-honoured work known as " Wieg- 

 mann^s Archiv." Consequently when Dr. Giinther invited us 

 to execute that portion of the undertaking which referred to the 

 class Aves, we felt we could not decline a task which we believed 

 would be of such benefit to the numerous ornithologists of this 

 country, as well as to those of foreign nations acquainted with 

 the English language. It was plain that the opportunity we 

 had long sought had now presented itself, for, in a work espe- 

 cially devoted to the subject, we should be able to treat the 

 cotemporary literature of our science at a length and with an 

 attention to detail which, as we have before said, would have 

 been quite impossible if the summary were to be embodied in, 

 or appended to, ' The Ibis.^ 



Without affectation of modesty, we may be allowed to say that 

 our own unfitness for the task was our chief misgiving. The 

 readers of this Journal generally were unconscious of our ori- 

 ginal intention, as stated above, and the few to whom it was 

 known would not, we were confident, regret our co-operating in 

 an undertaking which, if successful, cannot fail to render them 

 some service. On this score therefore there was no need for 

 hesitating. But the ornithological world has been long accus- 

 tomed to the yearly ' Bericht^ of Dr. Gustav Hartlaub, and it 

 is a serious matter for any one else to come forward on a stage 

 where he has been for nearly twenty years the sole actor, so that 

 we trust our own want of experience will in this case be kindly 

 taken into consideration by our friends. We have now to announce 

 the immediate publication of The Recokd of Zoological Li- 

 terature, and to say that in that portion of it which comes 

 from our pen we have endeavoured to do justice equally by the 

 authors from whose labours it is compiled and the public for 

 whose use it is intended. We are sensible of its many imper- 

 fections, but we trust that its faults are of such a nature as the 

 kind assistance of our fellow-ornithologists will in future enable 

 us to amend. In particular, we would earnestly request that 

 early notice of all ornithological publications may be sent to us, 

 while we can confidently assure our present readers that, as we 



