''Ibis'' (formerly ''The Ibis''), subtitled ''the International Journal of Avian Science'', is the

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...

scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Content Articles in scientific journals are mostly written by active scientists such as s ...

of the

British Ornithologists' Union The British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) aims to encourage the study of birds ("ornithology") and around the world, in order to understand their biology and to aid their conservation. The BOU was founded in 1858 by Professor Alfred Newton, Henry ...

. It was established in 1859. Topics covered include ecology, conservation, behaviour,

palaeontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

, and taxonomy of birds. The editor-in-chief is Dominic J. McCafferty ( University of Glasgow). The journal is published by Wiley-Blackwell in print and online. It is available free on the internet for institutions in the developing world through the OARE scheme (Online Access to Research in the Environment).

History

In 1858 the

(BOU) was formed. It was the first organization, devoted solely to the study of birds. One year later members of the BOU founded a (Quarterly) "Magazine of General Ornithology," entitled ''The Ibis''. In the preface of the first issue of ''The Ibis'' the editor, Philip Lutley Sclater, recalls that in a meeting in the autumn of 1857 a group of ornithologists who would soon establish the

, there was a "strong feeling that it would be advisable to establish a Magazine devoted solely to Ornithology." A year later, in what was called "the annual assemblage" of November 1858, it was determined, after due consideration, "by those present that a Quarterly Magazine of General Ornithology should be established, that a limited subscription should be entered into to provide a fund for that purpose, and that the subscribers should form an 'Ornithological Union'.

Series and editors

* Series 1 was published from 1859 to 1864, in six volumes and 24 issues. The first editor was Philip Lutley Sclater (1829–1913).Se
p. i

xvi
for the general index of series 1 on author and title, in Internet Archive. * Series 2 was published from 1865 to 1870, again in six volumes and 24 issues. The editor was Alfred Newton (1829–1907).Se
p. i

xxii
for the general index of series 2. * Series 3: 1871–1876 (six volumes, 24 issues). Editor: Osbert Salvin (1835–1898).Se
p. i

xiv
for the general index of series 3.Se
complete index
of series 1, 2 and 3, with index of genera and species (422 pages), and nine pages index of plates. * Series 4: 1877–1882 (six volumes, 24 issues). Editors: Osbert Salvin and Philip Lutley Sclater.Se
p. i

xxiv
for the general index of series 4. * Series 5: 1883–1888 (six volumes). Editors: P.L. Sclater and

Howard Saunders Howard Saunders (16 September 1835 – 20 October 1907) was a British businessman, who later in life became a noted ornithologist, specialising in gulls and terns. Life and work Saunders was born in London on 16 September 1835. He received hi ...

. * Series 6: 1889–1894 (six volumes). Editor: P.L. Sclater. * Series 7: 1895–1900 (six volumes). Editors: P.L. Sclater and Howard Saunders. * Series 8: 1901–1906 (six volumes). Editors: P.L. Sclater and

Arthur Humble Evans Arthur Humble Evans FRSE (23 February 1855 – 28 March 1943) was a British ornithologist. Life He was born in Scremerston on the Northumberland coast on 23 February 1855, the son of Rev Hugh Evans, the local vicar. He attended school i ...

. * Series 9: 1907–1912 (six volumes). Editors: P.L. Sclater and Arthur Humble Evans. * Series 10: 1913–1918 (six volumes). Editor:

William Lutley Sclater William Lutley Sclater (23 September 1863 – 4 July 1944) was a British zoologist and museum director. He was the son of Philip Lutley Sclater and was named after his paternal grandfather, also William Lutley Sclater. Life William's mother, J ...

, the son of P.L. Sclater. * Series 11: 1919–1924 (six volumes). Editor: W.L. Sclater. * Series 12: 1925–1930 (six volumes). * Series 13: 1931–1936 (six volumes). Editor:

Claud Buchanan Ticehurst Claud Buchanan Ticehurst FRGS (8 January 1881 – 17 February 1941) was a British people, British ornithologist. Early years Born at St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex he was a brother of Norman Frederic Ticehurst (1873-1960) and their father was Dr ...

. * Series 14: 1937–1942 (six volumes). * From 1943 onward the volumes are numbered 85 etc.

Geographical ornithology

In the first eighty years of its existence, a very large part of the contents of ''The Ibis'' was devoted to what is called "geographical ornithology", "the study of the birds of the different countries of the world" in the words of P.L. Sclater.P.L. Sclater, cited in Sclater had given the start to this important trend in scientific ornithology in his 1858 article in the Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, entitled "On the Geographic Distribution of the Members of the Class Aves". In this period British ornithology reflected the development of Britain as an empire.: "No doubt the preoccupation with widely extended geographical ornithology was fostered by the immensity of the areas over which British rule or influence stretched during the nineteenth century and for some time afterwards." and see

References

Sources

* * *

External links

*
''The Ibis''
in

Biodiversity Heritage Library The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is the world’s largest open access digital library for biodiversity literature and archives. BHL operates as worldwide consortiumof natural history, botanical, research, and national libraries working toge ...

(1859-1922)
''Ibis''
in onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Out of copyright volumes
of ''The Ibis'' at Internet Archive
''Ibis''
in

HathiTrust HathiTrust Digital Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via Google Books and the Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally ...