IV PREFACE. 



papers on the Pine Grosbeak, and Crested Tit, and Mr. Witchell's 

 ingenious papers on the Evolution of Bird-song (pp. 233 — 246, 

 and 283 — 288). Mr. Christy's Catalogue of local lists of British 

 Birds, which appeared in the number for July last, will be of 

 great utility to all students of the British Ornis, and we are 

 glad to learn that the author contemplates its republication 

 with some important additions. 



An unusual number of ornithological works have appeared 

 during the past year. Commencing in January last with the 

 Crown Prince Kudolph's book, we have received and noticed 

 the following County Avifaunas : — Aplin's Oxfordshire, Muir- 

 head's Berwickshire, Browne's Leicestershire, and Christy's 

 Essex; and have in hand for review the third volume of 

 Stevenson's ' Birds of Norfolk,' edited by Mr. Southwell, and 

 Graham's c Birds of Iona and Mull.' In regard to exotic 

 zoology, another volume of Blanford's * Fauna of British India ' 

 has made its appearance; Backhouse's ' European Birds' ; and 

 Seebohm's ' Birds of Japan ' (which we have still to notice) ; 

 while attention has been already directed to another volume by 

 Mr. Seebohm on the ' Classification of Birds,' and to Mr. Water- 

 house's useful * Index Generum Avium.' 



The careful out-of-door observations which continue to be 

 forwarded to us by many country contributors furnish a subject 

 for congratulation, and lead us to hope for a continuance of 

 such communications. Amongst the species observed for the 

 first time in Great Britain during the past year may be noted 

 Ardea virescens (pp. 105, 181), Mgialitis asiatica (p. 311), 

 (Estrelata torquata (p. 454), and Icterus baltimore (p. 457), 

 while in Ireland Mr. A. G. More has noticed the first occurrence 

 of the Barred Warbler, Sylvia nisoria (p. 310). It is to be 

 hoped that the Committee of Irish ornithologists, whose good 

 intentions were announced in 'The Zoologist' for April last 

 (p. 145), will receive that cordial support and assistance which 

 alone will enable them to carry out the scheme they have in 

 view. 



On our own behalf, we would beg of our readers to make 

 known 'The Zoologist' to their friends, and invite them to give 

 it their support. The field of Zoology is a large one, in which 

 there can be hardly too many workers, and the utility of placing 

 observed facts on record can scarcely be over estimated. 



