WITH the present part-volume of Birds in the 'Fauna of British India' Series the work of the author comes to a close. Vol. VIII. contains the final portion of the Synonymy— i e., that for Vol. VI.— and the whole of the Corrigenda and Addenda. In regard to the Synonymy, there is nothing to add to what has already been written in the Introduction to Vol. VII., to which the attention of the reader is again invited. The Corrigenda and Addenda, as has already been admitted, are very extensive, taking up no less than 111 pages of the volume ; even so, however, there can be no doubt that many alterations and perhaps some additions will yet be necessary. In the Corrigenda attention has been drawn to the differences between the printed dates of various publications and the dates on which these actually appeared. For instance, the earlier numbers of the ' Transactions' of the Linnean Society often appeared some months later than the printed date would imply. Those for 1820, so shown on the title-page, did not as a matter of fact appear until May 1821. The same may be said of the 1 Proceedings' of the Zoological Society of London, those of October 1854 being brought out in February 1855, those of 1830 in January 1831, those of 1831 in March 1832. In many instances the printed dates have been hitherto accepted as correct, and priority given to names published therein which had already appeared in earlier publications, whilst in other instances these names were antedated by different names previously given by other authors. The alterations in the dates have only been referred to once in the Corrigenda, unless affecting the names or authors of names of two or more birds, when the reasons are given in each case.
A considerable number of names, both specific and generic, have had to be changed because earlier names have been discovered which had either been overlooked or had been rejected for insufficient or incorrect reasons. An almost equal number of names has had to be altered owing to these being invalidated by previous use ; in such instances the next name available has been employed or a new one given.
In all doubtful cases the author has accepted the name in use rather than an alternative one, although the evidence might be slightly stronger in support of the latter than of the former.
In now bidding farewell to my readers, I would once more impress on them the fact that so much work still remains to be carried out by the Field Naturalist, This, however, I have dealt with at such great length in Vol. VII. that it is needless to add more here. The two main objects hoped for by the author of the volumes of the ' Avifauna of British India' will have been attained if they afford a stimulus to further work by those who love birds in their natural surroundings, and at the same time form a basis for further research work by systematists and others in Museums.
Upper Norwood, E. C. STUART BAKER.
1st Sept., 1930.