CHAIEMAI\''S ADDRESS 

 ox opexi>:g the poukth session 



or THE 



BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' CLUB, 1895 



On takiii<T the Chair at the first meeting of tiie Fourth Session 

 of the B. 0. C, I propose to address to you a few remarks on 

 recent events in Ornithology. Before commencing tljese^, 

 liowever^ I must express the regret ^vliich all the ]M embers of 

 the Club will feel at the loss Ave liave lately suffered by the 

 death of our friend and colleague^ Hoiry ThoYnfOTi Vrharton^. 

 uho "was AT ell knoAAm to us as an expert in British Orni- 

 thology^ and as the author of a useful list of British Birds, 

 published in 1877. He Avas also the active and efficient 

 Secretary of the Committee for the preparation of the 

 B. 0. U. List of British Birds, published in 1883, and General 

 Editor of that Avork. In the composition of the B. 0. U. List, 

 Wharton's classical knowledge Avas of very great assistance to 

 the Committee, and it Avas to his learning that aa'c are indebted 

 for the explanations of the generic and specific terms, vrhich 

 form such useful features in that ^^ ork. I must also not forget 

 that we have lately lost from our ranks an energetic Indian 

 ornithologist, Lieut. Henry E. Barnes. F.Z.S. I may likewise 

 allude to the untimely death, from hematuric fever, of Ernst 

 Baumann, as recently announced at Berlin. Baumann Avas a 

 young and energetic collector, who had Avorked hard at the 

 Birds of the Gei-man Colony of Togol and, on the West Coast of 

 Africa, and liad added upwards of 100 species to its avilauna. 

 I Avill now proceed to moi'c checi'ful topics. 



