The avifauna of the island of Ceylon
Book
Published by Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trübner and Co., London, England.
1890
Information
James Alexander Murray was a British 19th century zoologist and museum curator in Karachi. He was a Member of the Bombay Natural History Society and Anthropological Society of Bombay, a manager at the Victoria Natural History Institute and curator at the Kurrachee Municipal Library and Museum.
Should it be asked whether another work on the Avifauna of the Island of Ceylon was required in addition to such as already exist, the reply shortly is that it was undertaken under the patronage of the Colonial Government of Ceylon, which Government, no doubt, maybe presumed to be acquainted with the public wants, in so far that the student, the enquirer, and workers in Ornithology required something systematic to study, with materials collated and brought up to the present time, furnishing also in a brief compass more extended knowledge of the habits, resorts, nidification and geographical distribution of the species of birds inhabiting the Island, as well as all available information insufficient detail for the discrimination and identification of such species as may be met, without being reduced to the necessity of having to consult periodical literature and works published above a decade ago. It was also undertaken in the hope that, being a subject of special enquiry, and not one ...
More information can be found inside the Preface of this book.