PREFACH. 

THE present volume of ‘Tur Zoouocist’ forms the sixty- 
sixth since its foundation in 1848. This denotes a remarkable 
longevity, and its pages still exhibit no sign of senility ; much 
—ealthy competition has taken place during these long years— 
*~irnals on similar lines have appeared and disappeared, but 
for sixty-six years ‘THE Zoontocist’ has never failed in the 
regularity of its monthly publication. By the death of John 
William Douglas in 1905 the last of the contributors to its first 
volume passed away, but in the long series of volumes scarcely 
the name of an English zoologist is missing among its con- 
tributors. Unfortunately no obituary notice has appeared of 
very many who have written in its pages; were it otherwise, 
we should possess a very valuable material in the biographical 
roll-call of British naturalists. This melancholy information 
is frequently unknown to the Editor till long after the event, 
and he would earnestly ask the contributors to apprise him 
of such occurrences and to supply, if possible, the necessary 
facts. It affords material of considerable literary value, and 
on many grounds is to be greatly desiderated. 
The most cursory perusal of these, or any of these, sixty- 
31x volumes gives no uncertain indication of the prevalent 
studies of British naturalists. Ornithology undoubtedly holds 
the first place, and the love of birds is only equalled by that of 
insects, though the former naturally is, and always will be, the 
prominent feature of ‘THe Zoouoaist,’ entomology having so 
