196 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 



The Mission sent by the Government of Mauritius to the new 

 King of Madagascar, and of which Mr. Edward Newton was a 

 member, returned safely to the former island about the middle 

 of November last, having experienced a most hospitable recep- 

 tion from His Majesty, Radama IL In order to complete their 

 journey before the rains set in, the Ambassadors were compelled 

 to lose no time on the road, and hence not many facilities for 

 collecting were available. However Mr. Newton and Dr. Roch, 

 who was the medical gentleman attached to the deputation, 

 seem to have collected between them specimens of about sixty 

 species of birds, of which the former has already sent home ex- 

 amples of about five-and-twentij , and we hope in our next Num- 

 ber to give some further details respecting them. 



Writing from Mauritius, February 3rd, 1862, Mr. E. Newton 

 says : — 



" The last mail brought me, from the Acting Civil Commis- 

 sioner at Seychelles, three fully fledged young of the beautiful 

 Pigeon, Alectroenas nitidissima. Unfortunately one died the day 

 after I got it, but the other two are alive and well. They are 

 difficult birds to keep, as they will eat nothing that I can give 

 them but berries and small fruit. Luckily I have at this time a 

 sort of fruit in great profusion in my domain ; but it will only last 

 for a fortnight, and then I do not know what I shall do for them. 

 The one that died I have skinned, but it is not a good specimen. 

 The living birds are very funny in their habits, never going on to 

 the ground unless they are obliged ; and they show a wonderful 

 capability in stretching to a great distance from their perch, 

 sometimes with their heads nearly perpendicularly downwards, 

 so as to pick a fruit off the floor of their cage without descending 

 to it.'' 



Mr. E. Plant has within the last few weeks taken his depar- 

 ture for Mauritius en route to Madagascar, where he intends 

 passing some time in collecting objects of natural history. His 

 agent in this country is Mr. S. Stevens, of 24 Bloomsbury Street, 

 London, W.C. 



