Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

This rapid summary of those contributions which are more particularly designed for future reference conveys a very imperfect idea of the amusement and instruction contained in the volume; but were I to attempt to classify, or even enumerate, the lighter contributions, I should extend my address beyond all reasonable bounds, without conferring any corresponding benefit on my readers.

:

A few words as regards the future. Most earnestly do I solicit the continued co-operation of my contributors. The earliest announcement of the occurrence of a new or rare Quadruped, Bird, Reptile, Fish, Mollusk, Crustaceous animal, or Insect, will be most thankfully received if new, I hope the announcement will always be accompanied by a description, and, if practicable, by a figure; and if the object should not be new, but have been previously described or figured • as British, then a figure or description should be referred to, and the date, locality and other particulars given with scrupulous care and accuracy.

I have already ventured to suggest (Zool. 2295) an altered form for the local lists of birds, and have referred--as an example of the mode in which it may be carried out-to the Appendix of the lately-published 'Letters of Rusticus,' a work which I presume is now generally distributed among British ornithologists. I heartily wish that my ornithological correspondents would devote some time to the subject, each, in his own neighbourhood, endeavouring to compile an exact statistical account of the birds which reside in or visit it: in the preparation of such statistics I consider it a matter of great importance to ascertain with precision the presence or absence, at the various seasons of the year, of those which are esteemed the commoner British birds. The occasional appearance of a North-American, or African, or European species, is to be recorded of course; likewise the capture of sea-fowl in a midland county; but the legitimate object of a local list is to exhibit, at one point of view, the species which habitually and of choice frequent a given locality, and to indicate whether their tarriance is constant or seasonal. Even among occasional visitors there is much to be learned: it will be found that

certain species--such, for instance, as the brambling, siskin, honeybuzzard, and others-occasionally appear in considerable numbers in all the eastern counties: their advent is not strictly seasonal, neither is their stay regulated by ascertained laws or causes, but, as far as we yet know, is the result of caprice.

I have to regret the comparative paucity of communications respecting Fishes, Crustacea, Radiata and Zoophytes, and earnestly invite the attention of naturalists residing near the coast to these interesting divisions of the animal kingdom.

I must again call the attention of correspondents to the request I have so frequently made as to the mode of preparing contributions. Nothing should be introduced that is not intended for publication; all other matter should be restricted to a private note: all encomiums on the Zoologist' or its Editor should be strictly avoided; however kindly intended, their publication is not useful, and striking them out of the proofs is often both troublesome and expensive: communications on various subjects should be written on separate pieces of paper, or, if several are contained on one sheet, they should be so separated as to allow of their being parted from each other for arrangement, and nothing should ever be written on the back. All names of insects must be written in full: a deviation from this rule has compelled me to lay aside as useless many contributions which appeared highly interesting. Lastly, the names of persons and places should be written with peculiar and careful clearness,—thus reversing the practice adopted in writing to a friend, when a mere flourish of the pen is sufficient to express a locality or person equally well known to both. I trust an adherence to these rules will not be found very irksome; and I hope that I have no contributor who would not incur some little trouble in our common cause.

And now, in conclusion, I venture to express a hope that the feeling of unmixed goodwill with which I regard all those who love

VI

C

Nature for her own sake, is in some measure returned by my very numerous readers: the belief, backed by frequent individual assurances, that such is the case, is an appropriate and abundantly ample reward for the unceasing, though agreeable, labour of superintending the publication of the 'Zoologist.'

EDWARD NEWMAN.

9, Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, November 27, 1848.

[blocks in formation]

BOND, FREDERICK

Young of the little bittern near En-
field, 1969; Capture of Buprestis
mauriticana in Plaistow marshes,
1999; Locust in Cambridgeshire,

White spoonbill in Sussex, 2066;
Egyptian goose in Sussex, 2067
BREE, REV, W. T., M.A.

Rooks building, 2189; Provincial
names of birds, 2191

BRIGGS, J. J.

[blocks in formation]

Female fowl in plumage of male, 1969; Peronea permutana at New Brighton, 2271; Description of a sandpiper shot near Bootle, 2303 COOKSON, ISAAC

Capture of a snake in a mole trap, 2028; Snakes destructive to mice, 2074; Habits of a sea-gull, 2149 COOPER, REV. W. W.

Red-throated diver at Worcester, 1969, 2027; Great sea-serpent, 2192 COUCH, JONATHAN, F.L.S.

On the egg-purse and embryo of a species of Myliobatis, 1980; Locust in Cornwall, 2001

COUCH, R. Q.

[blocks in formation]

Nesting of the siskin near Durham, 2188

DAWSON, REV. J. F., M.A.

Notes on the capture of Harpalidæ

and the allied families in the Isle of Wight, 2110; Capture of Coleoptera at Whittlesea Mere, 2113; Notes on the Halticæ of the Isle of Wight, 2114; Capture of Lixus bicolor, Hypera fasciculata, &c., 2275 DEBY, JULIAN

Note on the occurrence of Turdus mi-
nor of Latham in Belgium, 1966;
Note on Lyctus canaliculatus, 2116;
Note on Triton palmipes, 2231

DOUBLEDAY, HENRY

Females of Zeuzera Arundinis, 2236; Harpalyce sagittaria near Peterborough, 2236 DOUGLAS, J. W.

A word on long series, 1983; Captures
of Lepidoptera, 1990; On rearing
Plusia Iota, 2076; Vanessa Antiopa
at Penge, Surrey, 2150; Larvæ of
Lepidoptera in the catkins of the
sallow, 2199

DRUMMOND, EDGAR, Lieut. R.N.
The great sea-serpent, 2306
DUFF, JOSEPH

Capture of Vanessa Antiopa at Bishop's Auckland, 2032; Locust at Bishop's Auckland, 2046; On the partial migration of birds, 2071; Sphinx Druræi at Bishop's Auckland, 2076; Singular proof of reasoning in a canary, 2144; Additional note on the chaffinch, 2144; Hoopoe near Sunderland, 2190; On killing insects by heated air, 2222 DUNN, ROBERT

[ocr errors]

Surf scoter in Shetland, 2067; Glaucous gull and Iceland gull, 2070; Some notes on the birds of Shetland, 2187; Note respecting the gray phalarope, the red-necked phalarope and the great northern diver, 2230 DUNNING, J. Ŵ.

Capture of Agrophila sulphuralis, 2199 ELLMAN, JAMES B.

Hops attractive to moths, 1985; Gastropacha quercifolia at Battel, 1986; Locust at Battel, 2002; White variety of the swallow and pale variety of the martin, 2021; Bittern at Battel, 2023; Capture of Lepidoptera at Battel, 2031; Stormy petrel at Hailsham, 2073; White variety of the blackbird, 2142; Little bittern at Ewhurst and Ledlescomb, 2147; Little crake at Seaford, 2148; Crested grebe at Battel, 2148; Note on an egg of the blackbird, 2188; Capture of Ephyra orbicularia, &c., at Battel, Note on Chlorissa punctaria, Note on Grammesia trilinea, Note on Dasychira pudibunda, Nettles attractive to moths, 2199; Anecdote of a rat, 2223; Vanessa Antiopa near Battel, Capture of Pterophorus pulveridactylus at Battel, Capture of Lepidoptera at Battel, 2236; Bats flying by day, 2289; Early arrival of fieldfares and snipes near Battel, 2298;

« AnteriorContinuar »