IV PREFACE. 



discovered how, apart from expert and official zoology, the love 

 of that study permeates our community, and the aptitude for 

 observation in the field — not a common possession — is found, 

 though perhaps sparingly, in all classes, from the squire to the 

 marsh-man. As age mellows one, the impression becomes 

 greater that naturalists are born as such and not made, and for 

 observational purposes the difficulty is to find them, not to 

 create them. I have tried during my Editorship to offer to 

 all such as are zoologically and observationally inclined the 

 hospitality of the ' Zoologist.' 



A striking episode of my experience during the last eighteen 

 years is the substitution of the camera for the gun, more 

 especially among ornithologists. This has been well expressed 

 in our pages by writers, to mention only Selous and Heatherley, 

 whilst other ornithologists elsewhere have advocated the same 

 departure. We who commenced with the gun have now 

 come to see the " better way." In British zoology, counties 

 often lead like certain countries in other directions. During my 

 officiate, Norfolk has become very prominent in these pages. I 

 need only mention the names of Gurney and Patterson, among 

 others, in this reference. 



Natural history is now supported by many monthly journals, 

 a contrast to the early days of the ' Zoologist.' In a general 

 sense it is a matter for congratulation, but the effect on this 

 Journal has been to keep many communications from its pages 

 which formerly would have appeared therein. 



In conclusion, I leave a pleasant task with the knowledge 

 that I have received so much support from our contributors, 

 and with the assurance that I have endeavoured to maintain 

 the character of the 'Zoologist' as a "Monthly Journal of 

 Natural Histoiy." 



