Vol. xiii.] 2 



Brother Members of the B. O. C, — 



On opening the Eleventh Session of the British Ornitho- 

 logists' Clnb and on the occasion of their Ninetieth Meeting, 

 I beg leave to say a few words before the ordinary business 

 of the Meeting is commenced. In so doing I propose to 

 confine my remarks to the geographical side of Ornithology, 

 that being, I think I may say, the branch of our science in 

 which most of us are mainly interested, although, as Editor 

 of ' The Ibis/ I have always endeavoured to secure contri- 

 butions relating to every branch of our subject. It was to 

 Geographical Ornithology — that is, to the study of the birds 

 of the different countries of the whole world — that the 

 minds of the founders of the B. O. U. were principally 

 directed when they founded the Society in 1858, and the 

 Meeting at which we are gathered together to-night is, in 

 fact, a selection of the most active Members of the Union, 

 who love to run about the world and to collect birds in 

 every land. 



I will therefore shortly allude to certain works now being 

 published or recently issued in each of the six great 

 Zoological Regions. 



I. PaljEarctic Region. 



In the Palsearctic Region there is always a large amount 

 of ornithological work in process, but there is not much at 

 the present moment to which I need call your attention. 

 Mr. Dresser, I am told, is hard at work on his f Manual of 

 Western Palaearctic Birds' — a subject which has always 

 claimed his principal attention. We may hope, I believe, 

 in the course of next year, to witness the publication of his 

 long promised volume on this subject, which will be of the 

 greatest interest to all of us. On the Continent, Herr Reiser 

 has, we are pleased to hear, the portion of the f Ornis 

 Balcanica ' relating to Greece in an advanced state, and 

 Ave may hope that this important work will shortly be 

 completed. 



Mr. H. E. Witherby has lately returned from his ornitho- 

 logical excursion in Persia, and we are pleased to see him 



