The Fauna of British India Including Ceylon and Burma, Vol.II

Abstract

This second volume of the' Avifauna contains a further installment of the Passer es, including 473 species and subspecies, bringing the total number dealt with up to date to 949. The second volume o f the Avifauna has appeared within about 20 months of the first, although the prescribed period' between the publication o f eaqh issue is supposed to bo two years. This is due to the persistence of our Editor, Sir Arthur E. Shipley, and, it must be added, to the fact thnt the Authorities concerned fully appreciate the value of rapid production in a work of this nature. A still more important success gained by the Editor is sanction to a sixth volume to ’ the ifvifauna, which is to contain a full Synonymy of all first references in addition to corrigenda and addenda to the first five volumes. * I t is hofied that the third voljiine will be completed in another 18 months or less and that subsequent volumes will appear at even shorter intervals. Headers will, however, realize that any work which, entails the consideration of subspecies— a now factor in Indian Zoology— also entails an ■enormous amount of Museum work, which cannot.be hurried over. Nomenclature, also, is at present in such a state- of flux that it is extremely difficult to follow the writings of those who make a special study of this subject, in addition to the original research work the Author .himself has to get through