Petronia

Description

"Sálim Ali s association with the Bombay Natural History Society started when, as a child, he was intrigued by the patch of yellow on the throat of a sparrow he had short with his airgun. It was suggested that he visit the Society to seek an explanation. From the time he entered the portals of the Society as a curious child, to the day of his death, the association with the Society continued in some form or other. The survival of the Society after Indian Independence was largely due to his total commitment to its existence and advancement. Whatever advantage he may have acquired from the association, he amply recompensed by leaving to the Society the amounts he received as awards, the royalties from all his publications and the major portion of his library.To commemorate his birth centenary, the BNHS organized an international seminar on wetland and grassland bird conservation in 1996, and in addition decided to publish a commemorative volume of articles on ornithology by his frie nds, colleagues and students. This commemorative volume, titled Petronia (the generic name of the yellow throated sparrow which started Sálim Ali on his ornithological guest) has been sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Government of India."