iv 



PREFACE. 



devoted, and to the practical education of the rising 

 ireneration." ^ 



Personally, I may be permitted to express my heartfelt 

 i^ratitude to all members whom I have asked assistance 

 from, for the ready and able help accorded to me in the 

 preparation of this volume, which, with the kind permission 

 also granted, I dedicate to the Society. 



Intimately connected with the great success of the 

 Society are the names of those who took first action, as well 

 as of those who have continued the policy and aims to the 

 present time. 



I have to thank Mr. Coates for his interesting account 

 of the Society which is given further on, as also for the 

 loan of the photographic portraits of Sir Thomas Moncreiffe 

 and Dr. F. Buchanan White. 



My thanks are due to other naturalists also, outside the 

 area, who have given ungrudging help. Amongst these 

 latter I wish to mention my friend Mr. Wm. Evans, of 

 Edinburgh; Mr. James Davidson, now of Edinburgh, for- 

 merly District J udge in India, and author of many papers 

 upon the ornithology and entomology of that country ; and 

 also my old friend, Col. H. W. Feilden, who has sent me 

 notes of great interest regarding the former status of 

 certain species in the south-eastern portion of our area, 

 with which his earliest recollections are associated, under 

 the able tuition and encouragement of his father. Sir 



^ Col. Drummond Hay informed me, and I have also verified the fact for myself, 

 that the values of the records of specimens in the Montrose Museum are almost 

 worthless, owing to the utter neglect of authentication and absence of labels 

 to the specimens, as well as the loss of the " Donation Registers." That institution 

 should take a leaf out of the Perth Society's book, and be remodelled on its entire 

 constitution. 



