364 Letters, Extracts, Notices, l^c. 



8 Atboll Crescent, Ediubiirgh. 

 June 17th, 1887. 



Sirs, — With reference to your mention at page 251 of the 

 current volume of ' The Ibis ' of the disappearance of the 

 Spoonbill from the neighbourhood of Amsterdam, you will 

 be glad to learn that a thriving colony still exists not far 

 from that city, I have just received the annexed letter from 

 an ornithological friend resident there, which will, no doubt, 

 be read with interest. 



Yours &c., 



John J. Dalgleish. 



" Amsterdam, loth June, 1887. 

 "Dear Sir, — It is a pity you did not come to see the 

 Spoonbills : the report that the Spoonbills have deserted 

 Holland is a mistake, the place where they build now is the 

 Naarder Meer. A year ago there was great danger of their 

 losing this place, as the lake in question was being drained. 

 Fortunately for the Spoonbills the soil proved bad and the 

 trouble to keep the place dry was too great, so it was aban- 

 doned as a bad job, and the water having come back in an incre- 

 dibly short time, the Spoonbills reign again in their old place. 

 A part of the lake never was laid dry, even whilst the drainage 

 was going on. The Spoonbills had not abandoned the place 

 altogether, but, of course, their rest and happiness were gone, 

 and probably their ultimate destruction would only have 

 been a question of a few years. At this time of the year I 

 go almost daily by the rail that passes the lake, and so have 

 occasion to admire the startling eiTect of a long row of these 

 splendid white birds standing knee-deep in the water and 

 contrasting wonderfully against the green background. The 

 Red (Purple) Heron and several other aquatic birds nest in 

 the same place. 



'•' Yours &c., 



" F. E. Blaauw.'' 



Anniversary Meeting of the British Ornithologists' Union, 

 1887. — The Annual Meeting of the British Ornithologists' 



