PREFACE BY THE EDITOR. 



The four hundred and twenty eight species of birds enumerated 

 in the following pages have been observed either as residents, as 

 migrants, or as accidental visitors in that part of South-western 

 Africa of which Damara Land is the central portion, but which 

 also comprises Ovampo Land to the north, the district adjacent 

 to Lake Ngami to the north-east, a portion of the Kalahari 

 Desert to the south-east. Great and Little Namaqua Land to 

 south, and the coast and adjacent islets of the Atlantic to the 

 west. 



All the species included in this volume have been identified by 

 myself from an examination of specimens obtained in the 

 above-mentioned countries, except in those cases where the 

 contrary is specifically mentioned*. 



The specimens so identified were chiefly contained in the 

 collection left by Mr. Andersson at his decease, and subsequently 

 sent to London for the purpose of being disposed of; but some 

 were-seen by me in other collections of Mr. Andersson's which 

 reached England in previous years. 



In this work of identification I have been exceedingly in- 

 debted to the assistance of my friends Mr. R. B. Sharpe, Mr. 

 J. E. Harting, M. Jules Verreaux, Mr. Layard, my late 

 much-regretted friend Mr. G. R. Gray, and other eminent 

 ornithologists, whose kind aid is more particularly acknow- 

 ledged in the following pages. To the two first-named 



* A. memorandum to the above eftect, however, was accidentally omitted 

 in the case of Circus maurus and of Circus ranivorus, pp. 33 and 34. 



