Abstract
THE appearance of the first volume of the history of its fauna at a time when all our attention is concentrated on South Africa is doubtless in a great degree accidental, although nevertheless opportune, if only as a reminder that, when the present period of stress and anxiety has passed away, there are matters other than war and armaments demanding our attention in that part of the globe. It was a fortunate circumstance that the editor of the series—Mr. W. L. Sclater—was able to secure for his first volume the valuable services of a local ornithologist, well acquainted, not only with the birds themselves, but likewise with their habits and the localities they frequent. Unhappily, the labours in this world of Mr. Stark are ended for ever, his career having been terminated, as he stood at the door of his own house in Ladysmith, by the fragment of a shell which struck him dead almost on the spot. It is said that his last words were “Take care of my Cat.,” doubtless referring to the present volume and its successor, of which latter we believe we are right in saying that the MS. was complete at the time of the author's death.
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L., R. The Birds of Africa 1 . Nature 61, 516–518 (1900). https://doi.org/10.1038/061516a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/061516a0