PREFACE. 



The number of attendances at the Meetings of tlie Britisli 

 Ornithologists' Club during the 19th Session, 1910-1911, 

 was 396 (this included 318 Members and 78 Visitors), 

 showing an average of 44 per Meeting, a number which 

 agrees exactly v,'ith that of the previous Session. 



By the death of Captain G. E. Shelley the Club has lost a 

 valued and popular Member, whose well-known works and 

 papers on the Birds of Africa have added so much to the 

 present state of our knowledge. 



The present volume contains descriptions of a large 

 number of new species and subspecies of birds, including 

 most of those discovered by the B.O.U. Expedition to Dutch 

 New Guinea. Important communications on Australian 

 birds have been received from Mr. G. M. Mathews, on 

 African birds from Mr. G. L. Bates, Dr. E. Hartert and 

 Mr. E. J. Jackson, and on South American birds from 

 Mr. Hellmayr and others. Many interesting questions on 

 changes of plumage, &c. have been discussed at the various 

 Meetings. 



Among the novelties described during 1910-11 we must 

 not omit to mention the three new forms of Irish birds^, 

 one of which; the Irish Coal-Titmouse, is described in this 

 volume. 



The exhibition of Lantern-slides which was held at the 

 March Meeting was better than on the previous occasion. 



a2 



