EDITOR'S PREFACE. xxvii 



Mr. Andersson's MSS. contained minute descriptions of the 

 plumage of most of the birds of South-west Africa ; but to have 

 introduced these into the present volume would have unduly- 

 increased its bulk ; and their introduction is the less requisite 

 as^ probably, almost all ornithologists who may peruse these 

 pages are possessed of Mr. Layard's most useful ' Catalogue of 

 the Birds of South Africa/ where a sufficient description of each 

 species will readily be found. 



I have, however, transcribed Mr. Andersson's account of the 

 colouring of those parts which fade after death, in all cases where 

 he has recorded these particulars from the examination of freshly 

 killed specimens ; and I have also inserted descriptions of 

 plumage in a few instances where it has appeared to me desirable 

 to do so. 



Of the measurements of such newly killed specimens as 

 Mr. Andersson has recorded, I have given examples in the case 

 of all those species in respect of which he has also recorded 

 the sex of the individaals measured. 



For the nomenclature and arrangement of the species con- 

 tained in this volume Mr. Andersson is not answerable; that 

 duty having fallen to my lot as editor, I am responsible for the 

 manner in which it has been carried out. 



The generic and the specific names are, for the most part, 

 those used in Gray^s ' Hand-list of Birds/ but I have not scrupled 

 to deviate from that high authority in some cases in which it 

 appeared to me that adequate reasons existed for making such 

 a deviation. 



I have not intercalated in the text the names of the various 

 subfamilies, but such of them as appear to me to have a sound 

 and natural foundation are given in the preliminary table of 

 species at the commencement of the volume. 



I have not attempted to give a full synonymy of each species ; 

 but I have given a reference to Mr. Layard's volume in the case 

 of every bird recorded in that work, and in the case of other 



