216 Letters, Announcements, S^c. 



In a copy of Bonaparte's paper in wliich Merula dady- 

 loptera was described, belonging to ray friend the late Marquis 

 Orazio Antinori, there is a manuscript note by him, which 

 I translate, and which runs as follows : — " The Blackbird of 

 which the author (Bonaparte) speaks was found by me, not in 

 Syria, but in the neighbourhood of Smyrna, in Asia Minor, 

 and it was sent by me to Bonaparte in Paris with the name 

 Merula imguiculata. I believe that it is not a good species, 

 but only a variety of Merula vulgaris'' 



It follows from this that in case of Merula dacUjloptera not 

 being an abnormal variation, researches should be made near 

 Smyrna to have the chance of finding it again. 



I am &c., 



T. Salvadori. 



Ridgwaij Ornithological Club. — The Ridgway Ornithological 

 Club of Chicago, 111., held its regular monthly meeting on 

 February 7th. Donations of specimens and books were re- 

 ceived, and three new members elected. Mr. Gault exhibited 

 a specimen of a hybrid between a Coot and a Gallinule, and 

 Mr. Raddin showed an albino red-tailed Hawk. A paper by 

 Dr. Morris Gibbs, of Howard City, Mich., on the " Genus 

 Empidonax,'' was read ; also papers by Mr. H. K. Coale on 

 " Summer Birds of Hyde Park, 111., and Winter Birds of 

 Stark County, Indiana."" The Club was presented with a 

 life-sized portrait of Prof. Ridgway, Avith his best wishes. 



Eurynorhynchus pygnuBUS. — Dr. Hartlaub writes to us that 

 the Bremen Collection has lately received a fine specimen of 

 this eccentric Wader from the island of Hainan, where it 

 was shot by Herr Schomberg. 



Expedition to Kilimanjaro. — Mr. H. H. Johnston, whose 

 recently issued volume on the Congo we propose to notice in 

 our^next number, left England on the 4th of April last, en 

 route for Zanzibar. Mr. Johnston goes out at the expense of 

 the Royal Society and the British Association, for the special 

 purpose of investigating the flora and fauna of Mount Kili- 

 manjaro. 



