Letters, Announcements, ^c. 471 



gnathus burhidgii, Gallus stramineicollis, and Buchanga siig- 

 matops ; presented by H. VeitcLj Esq. 



Eight species of Birds from the Lawas River, N.W. 

 Borneo ; presented by W. Pretyman, Esq. 



Thirteen rare species from Java and the Molucca Islands, 

 comprising eight new to the collection; presented by the 

 late Director of the Leiden Museum. 



Seventy-four skins from Tenasserim ; presented by Captain 

 Bingham. 



Twenty-two specimens collected by Mr. A. G oldie in the 

 Astrolabe Mountains, S.E., New Guinea; amongst them the 

 type specimens of a new Paradise-bird [Paradisea decora) 

 with other rarities ; purchased . 



An example of the rare Bird of Paradise, Diphyllodes 

 guilielmi-tertii ; purchased. 



The types of Drepanornis cei^vinicauda (Sclsiter) ,froiai S.E, 

 New Guinea ; presented by Dr. Bennett, of Sydney. 



An example of the Tooth -billed Bower-bird {Scenopceus 

 dentirostris) from Queensland; presented by E. P. Ramsay, 

 Esq. 



[From the Parliamentary Report of the Brit. Mus. 1884. 

 We have ventured to correct some obvious misprints. — Edd.] 



Sheep-slaughter by Nestor notabilis. — The ' Canterbury 

 Times ^ of March 19th, 1884, gives the following extract 

 from a letter received from Mr. R. Bouchier, Sheep Inspector 

 at Queenstown, Lake District: — "I was last week on a 

 station on "Wanaka Lake, where a mob of hoggets were 

 attacked by Keas, and in one night no less than 200 sheep 

 were killed. The shepherds killed most of the birds, however. 

 The bonus for the destruction of Keas gives a great impetus 

 to men to destroy the birds, but sometimes it is hard-earned 

 money. The ranger of one run in this district gives con- 

 tractors 45. per beak, and his shepherds 3*. per beak ; and 

 the consequence is that, this shearing, hardly a sheep was 

 marked, and the death-rate was reduced by nearly one-half. 

 The total number of beaks delivered at my office was 1574.," 



