TAKING A ZOOLOGICAL CENSUS. 



25 



or of predatory animals as checking its increase — we shall surely 

 have acquired some valuable facts bearing upon its existence, and 

 thus be enabled to judge with less chance of error respecting its 

 preservation as a <£ favoured race." I am well aware that, in urging 

 these remarks, I am laying myself open to the charge of Utopian- 

 isui — and justly so, were I for a moment to deceive myself or to 

 attempt to deceive others with the hope that such observations as 

 I am advocating could be satisfactorily made, except in very few 

 instances. But with these very few instances I am prepared to 

 be content, at all events as a first step ; for, if I mistake not, they 

 would speedily be found of service, and the desire to extend them 

 would as speedily grow. 



Now as to the method by which these suggestions may be put 

 in practice. It is plain that here lies the chief difficulty, and I 

 only approach it with great caution. It may be at first sight not 

 unnaturally objected, that the difference between personal powers 

 of observation, which I have before mentioned, and the existence 

 of which no one can doubt, will be as insuperable when these ob- 

 servations are represented in numbers as when they are expressed 

 in words. I trust, however, that the Society will give me credit 

 for asserting, on the strength of a somewhat protracted trial, that 

 this objection is unfounded. I do not desire at present to go into 

 particulars. I will merely state that I have found that, with com- 

 paratively little trouble, a sufficiently accurate account of the ap- 

 pearance, not only of every species of bird, but, with respect to 

 many species, of every individual bird may be kept ; and I do not 

 see any reason why the same principle should not be extended to 

 other groups of the animal kingdom. Indeed, I think that zoolo- 

 gists have only to apply themselves to the task, each in his own 

 district, to accomplish what is wanted. So far the matter is easy ; 

 and were it only required that the numbers seen should be polled, 

 no particular obstacle presents itself. But the real hindrance I find 

 in what I may perhaps be allowed to call the " disturbing forces," 

 which must be duly appreciated before the returns from different 

 localities can be reduced to a common standard for comparison. 

 Herein the zoologist must avail himself of the help of the geolo- 

 gist and the botanist ; and therefore have I thought it expedient 

 to introduce the subject of this paper to the Linnean Society, a 

 body so fully competent to deal with the mixed questions which 

 must arise from its consideration, and with which I freely acknow- 

 ledge my utter inability to cope. But I may also add that it is 

 my intention immediately to pursue the matter further as regards 



