EDITOR'S PREFACE, 
Turis General Index to the ‘ Hand-list of the Genera and Species 
of Birds’ has been prepared to supply a much-felt want. 
The number of bird-skins in the British Museum (Natural 
History) is now so vast that it has been found necessary to 
prepare a special catalogue indicating the position of each species 
in the collection. The pages of the ‘ Hand-list’ have therefore 
been laid down in three large volumes on paper with specially 
printed headings. Opposite each name and arranged in parallel 
columns is the number of the cabinet and the number of the drawer 
in which the species is placed, also a reference to the volume and 
page in the ‘ Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum.’ 
A general index to these special volumes was required and 
for this purpose my Chief.Attendant, Mr. Thomas Wells, in 
the first instance, undertook the laborious task of amalgamating 
the indexes to the five volumes of the ‘ Hand-list.’ 
As it was found that there were a good many errors and 
omissions in the original work, and as a General Index was much 
wanted, the Trustees decided to publish the present volume as a 
Supplement to the ‘Hand-list.’ The references have all been care- 
fully checked and it is to be hoped that most of the old mistakes 
have been corrected and that fresh ones have been avoided. 
A limited number of copies have been struck off on large paper, 
printed on one side only, to provide for manuscript intercalations, 
and will be used as an Index to the Special Catalogue of the 
species of birds in the collection. 
W. R. OGILVIE:GRANT. 
1th March, 1912. 
