Ill 
PREFACE. 
rnilE Annual Volumes of tlie Zoological Record from XLIII (1906) 
to LI (1914) inclusive were produced in association with the 
International Catalogue of Scientific Literature and were identical 
except in title page with the (N.) Zoology volumes of the Catalogue, 
6th to 14th annual issues inclusive. Since then the volumes have 
been issued on the sole responsibility, financial and editorial, of the 
Zoological Society, although a gradually decreasing assistance has 
been given in the shape of card slips compiled by some of the Regional 
Bureaus of the Catalogue organisation. 
The increasing cost of producing the Record has thro wn a burden 
on the finances of the Zoological Society which has seriously interfered 
with sides of its scientific work more closely related to the study and 
care of living animals. Last year, the Society explained the position 
in circulars addressed to the leading institutions in the world interested 
in zoological science, and announced that it would be unable to continue 
the publication of the Record unless it was assured that a sufficient 
number of copies would be subscribed for. The response, unfortu- 
nately, was insufficient, and the net loss to the Society on the pro- 
duction and publication of the present volume, so far as can be 
ascertained, will exceed £1,100. The Council have agreed to assume 
this responsibility for the present volume, and, in the hope that some 
means will be found by other institutions interested in the Record, to 
come to its support, have sanctioned the compilation of the material for 
the Record dealing with the literature of 1922, but now give formal 
notice that they will not undertake the publication of that volume or 
of subsequent issues of the Record unless they receive substantial aid 
from other institutions. Such aid should be in the form of annual 
donations to the Zoological Society of London and may be made con- 
tingent on the Society receiving, in all, sufficient support to enable it 
to publish the Record. The Zoological Society is prepared to regard an 
annual loss of £500 or even £600 as a contribution it may reasonably 
make to the Record in the general interest of Zoological Science and 
hopes, therefore, that other institutions will amongst them be able 
to contribute an equal amount in addition to subscribing for copies. 
Otherwise, the Zoological Record must cease. 
