Vol. xv.] 4 



on our favourite subject. In the vast British dominions 

 which occupy the southern part of the African Continent 

 many active workers have lately been occupied with ornitho- 

 logy. Indeed so much devotion is paid to this branch of 

 zoology in Cape Colony and the adjoining countries, that, as 

 already announced, it has been resolved to form a South- 

 African Ornithologists'' Union, and active steps have already 

 been taken to start a journal as the organ of the new 

 association. We must offer our best congratulations to 

 our South-African brethren upon their energy and wish 

 them every sort of success. Mr. W. L. Sclater, I may 

 mention, who is one of the leaders in the new scheme, 

 having finished for the press the fourth volume of the 

 ' Birds of South Africa ' (commenced but unfortunately not 

 finished by his friend the late Dr. Stark), has lately paid a 

 flying visit to Northern Rhodesia, in order to establish a 

 collector there for the investigation of that little-known 

 district. Extracts from some of Mr. Sclater's letters shall be 

 read to you presently, and will show you how easy it is now- 

 a-days to reach places that a short time ago were practically 

 inaccessible. 



Coming back to our own country, we are glad to see 

 Mr. Nicoll again amongst us after his recent successful foray 

 in the West Indies. We are also pleased to hear that 

 Mr. Eagle Clarke has safely returned from another " month's 

 imprisonment" in the lighthouse on the Flannan Islands. I 

 think that we must all allow that no man has endured more 

 hardships in the cause of science, or attained more successful 

 results, than Mr. Eagle Clarke. Among the ornithological 

 books lately published we may name the fourth part of 

 Mr. Alfred J. North's ' Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds ' 

 as worthy of special attention, as is likewise Captain Hutton 

 and Mr. Drummond's useful Handbook on the Animals of 

 New Zealand. These works show that in the Australian 

 Colonies, as well as in South Africa, ornithology is by no 

 means neglected. The new volume on the ' Fauna of the 

 North-west Highlands and Skye/ belonging to Mr. Harvie- 

 Brown's well-known series, will be likewise favourably 



