Letters, Extracts fr-om Correspondence, Notices, 8^c. 193 



qui est un des plus determines chasseurs du pays, a dit n'eu 

 avoir jamais vu un pareil a Nouvelle Zelande. Mai 1861/' 



The head is of a clear white. The specimens in the Museum 

 are all more or less speckled with darker feathers ; but this is all 

 the diflFerence I am able to detect. 



The most interesting bii'd of the whole collection is a white 

 variety of Procellaria gigantea, quite white, with only a few 

 greyish feathers on the back and on the sides of the wings. I 

 gave Dr. Bennett a description and measurement of this bu'd, 

 and you will receive it very likely by this mail also. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c,, 



Gerard Krefft. 



With reference to the last-named species. Dr. Bennett v^'rites 

 as follows (Sydney, November 20th), enclosing Mr. Krefft's 

 sketch : — 



"This large Petrel was shot at sea, in lat. 33° 59' S., long. 

 169° 36' E., on the 22nd of October, 1860, as the label states 

 which is attached to the specimen. The eyes are described as 

 blue-black ; the mandibles of a light horn-colour ; the legs and 

 feet black. The whole of the plumage was of a beautiful white 

 colour, very slightly sprinkled v/ith black over the throat and 

 abdomen, but more so over the upper part of the head, neck, 

 back, and scapulars. It was about the size of the Giant Petrel, 

 of which no doubt it is an interesting variety, and was the only 

 one seen by the whaler. Mr. Krefft, acting curator of the 

 Australian Museum, kindly made me the drawing I send. The 

 specimen, which is set up in the collection of the Australian 

 IMuseum at Sydney, accords with the bird I mentioned in my 

 ' Gatherings of a Naturalist,' pp. 76, 77, as named by sailors 

 'The Flying Leopard.' It is there regarded as a singular va- 

 riety of one of the smaller species of Albatros." 



The followins: extract is from a letter received from ]\Ir. Blvth, 

 dated Maulmein, November 3rd : — 



"Tomorrow morning I start for the^Youzalin (or Yoou-za-Ieen) 

 district, in the interior of the province of Martaban, a region of 

 frost and ice during the height of the cold weather, and of pine 

 forests [Pinus latteri, if really distinct from P. kassiana, which I 



VOL. IV. o 



