The ORS began in 1973 when the first recording cards (RA27) were produced. The Scheme is now administered by the British Arachnological Society (BAS). It has close links with Biological Records Centre who still produce the cards, contact Dr Helen Roy, Biological Records Centre, NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB.

The purpose of the ORS is to record the geographical distribution of harvestmen in Britain and to publish this information in the form of maps based on the 10km squares of the Ordnance Survey National Grid. A 3rd edition of the Opiliones Atlas has been published and further records will build on this information and form a database that can be accessed to provide species information on particular sites and also present useful data for studies on climate change and biodiversity. In addition it is proposed to have close links with Southern Ireland.

New cards are available free of charge from the BRC. As recorders, would you please complete the cards yourself and send them to Peter Nicholson (see BAS website contacts) for checking and uploading as National Organiser. It is also important to send in any doubtful specimens. The ORS is able to receive records from any database provided the output is in a format that can be read by Microsoft Excel. The preferred database format is MapMate. If you are considering this product for recording British harvestmen and spiders please contact the National Organiser who may be able to help.

The ORS does not at present produces an independent newsletter but articles and news will be published through the existing newsletters and periodicals distributed to British Arachnological Society Members in the UK.

For those individuals who wish to browse the four original news letters these are available on line here (note: you will need to click on "OCULARIUM" or use your browser's "back" button to return here after viewing the newsletters).

• Ocularium No. 1 (November 1998)
• Ocularium No. 2 (November 1999)
• Ocularium No. 3 (November 2000)
• Ocularium No. 4 (November 2001)