rilEFACE. XV 



and help in several directions, especially in our chapter 

 on the history of the Ospreys in Strathspey, and his visit 

 in our company to the ancient haunts of the rarer 

 Raptores. We are also indebted to Professor Newton, 

 who has always given us the benefit of his great experi- 

 ence, his advice and assistance, often it must have been 

 at great sacrifice of his own valuable time, especially in 

 connection with the Osprey's history, and allowing us to 

 see portions of the correspondence of the late Mr. John 

 Wolley and the late Mr. Thomas Edward. Our thanks 

 in this connection also are due to the courtesy and 

 assistance of Mr. Howes, of the Newcastle Museum, who 

 sent us transcripts of the late Mr. Hancock's notes on the 

 Ospreys of Strathspey. 



With ' Shetland ' and * Dee ' well in hand, and the 

 great area of Moray finished, our task as regards the 

 northern parts of Scotland is almost finished ; but it is 

 not exhausted, as perhaps the following remarks may 

 show. 



First of ail, our premier volume — the Vertebrate 

 Fauna of Sutherland, Caithness, and West Cromarty — 

 unfortunately comprises portions of three distinct faunal 

 jireas, thus doing away in some measure with the subse- 

 quent uniformity of our series. Partly we have rectified 



