Birds. 303 



critical notes by Mr. Gurney. Thirteen in all were published by Mr. 

 Ayres, who in 1881 accompanied the late Mr. J. S. James »D <>n his 

 expedition to Mashonalaud, and wrote the field-notes on the birds 

 obtained in this country, at that time an untrodden ground for the 

 naturalist. Mr. Ayres' notes on the habits of South African birds are 

 some of the most interesting contributions ever made by an ornithologist, 

 and as an estimate of his integrity as a man, it is only necessary to State 

 that he was allowed to remain in peace at Potchefstroom through both 

 the Boer wars. Cf. Gurney, "Ibis," 1859, pp. 234-252, pL 7: L860, 

 pp. 203-221; 1861, pp. 128-136 ; 1862, pp. 25-39, pL 3, L49-158, pis. 

 4-5; 1863, pp. 320-330, pis. 8, 0; 1864, pp. 346-361; 1805, pp. 263 

 276 ; 1868, pp. 40-52, pi. 2, 460-471, pi. 10; 1873, pp. 254-259. 



Many of Mr. Ayres' specimens have reached the Museum through the 

 acquisition of Capt. Shelley's and my own collections of African l<irds, 

 and they are remarkable for their fine preservation. After the death of 

 Mr. Gurne}', his son John Henry Gurney divided the remaining series 

 bequeathed to him by his father between the British Museum and his old 

 friend, Canon Tristram. 



See Gurney, J. H. ; Jameson, J. S. 



Ayres (T. L.). 



Son of the foregoing, and an excellent collector. Many of his 

 specimens were in the Shelley and Seebohm Collections, and for some 

 time he occupied himself in procuring a series of birds, in moult, for my 

 especial study ; these I gave to the Museum. 



Ayscough (Capt. R. F.), H.M.S. Bing-dove. 



4 specimens from Campbell Island, etc., including the type of Ocydromns 

 scotti, Grant, Bull. B.O.C., xv., p. 78 (1905). 



Baber (Ben. H. H.). 



144 specimens from Madras. Presented. [43. 10. 25, 1-144.] 



1 have never been able to discover whether Mr. Baber was a missionary 

 or an army chaplain. His skins were of the usual Madras or " Coorg " 

 make, with a paper band round their bodies. The collection must have 

 been of great service to the Museum in 1843, as at that time we possessed 

 scarcely any specimens of Indian birds. 



Baikie (Dr.). 



23 specimens from Nigeria. Presented. [62. 6. 30, 12-34.] 

 Of. Mr. Oldfield Thomas's Report on Mammalian Collections. 



Bailey (Col. the Hon. J. H. R.). 



2 specimens of the Common Magpie from Brecon. Presented. 



[1904. 6. 8, 2-3.] 



Bailward (W. A.). 



31 specimens from Taviuni Island, Fiji Archipelago. Presented. 

 [84. 7. 9, 1-16 ; 86. 7. 10, 1-15.] 



Mr. Bailward, on two occasions, presented small collections of birds 

 from the island of Taviuni, and among them were specimens of OhryBCetUM 

 victor, Lamprolia victorix, and its nest and <'_\u rs - 



Bailward (Colonel R. C). 



396 birds from Persia. Presented. [1905. L2. 27, 1 -396.] 



