21 G Letters, Annoinicemeiits, ^-r. 



reach of an ordinary fishing-rod. There was scarcely a 

 moment in the day when upwards of fifty could not be 

 counted within the area of a few yards in any of the patches 

 of this common plant/^ 



New Birds fi-om Celebes. — In an account of a meeting of 

 the Vereiu flir Naturwissenschaft of Brunswick, held on the 

 18th February last_, published in the ' Braunschweigische 

 Anzeiger ' for March 3rd, which Dr. W. Blasius has kindly 

 forwarded, will be found short characters of the two new 

 birds from Celebes, named Dicatmi nehrkorni and Rallus 

 plateni. The specimens thus described formed part of a 

 large collection made by Dr. Platen at Rurukan, in Northern 

 Celebes, in 1884 and 1885, of which, no doubt, a fuller 

 account will ultimately be given. 



New and Recent Expeditions. — Mr. G. C. Bourne has re- 

 turned safely from his visit to Diego Garcia, and amongst 

 his spoils has brought back a collection of birds, comprising 

 representatives of abovit 15 species. These are all Waders 

 and Sea-birds with the exception of a single Weaver-bird, 

 apparently Foudia madagascariensis , which has been no doubt 

 imported from Mauritius. Mr. Bourne will read a report on 

 his birds at one of the approaching meetings of the Zoological 

 Society of London. 



Mr. Henry J. Elwes has received the appointment of Natu- 

 ralist to the Embassy which is about to proceed to Lhassa 

 with the object of opening Tibet to the trade of India. 

 There can be no doubt that in this instance at least we have 

 the right man in the right place. Mr. Elwes's well-known 

 energy and intimate acquaintance with the fauna of Dar- 

 jeeling alike render him in every way fitted for this arduous 

 post, and all the fraternity of the B.O.U. will, we are sure, join 

 us in wishing him success in his somewhat hazardous journey. 

 Mr. Elwes will -leave England very shortly for Darjeeling, 

 whence the Expedition will start in the early part of the 

 summer. ,.,». 



CENTRAL PARK, "^ ^ 

 NEW YORK. ^^. / 



