Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 305 



est m^ conliance en votre loyaute bien connue, et quels sont 

 pour vous mes sentimens de haute estirae et de consideration. 



" O. Des Murs/' 



With regard to the first point, we give M. Des Murs' remarks, 

 in accordance with his request ; but it will be observed, that 

 the whole ground of his complaint rests on an erroneous inter- 

 pretation of what we have said. M. Des Murs has mistrans- 

 lated the passage complained of, and given it a meaning exactly 

 contrary to that which it conveys in the original. Far from 

 implying that he "advanced" the theory that the Balceniceps 

 lays " spotted " eggs, we stated that M. Des Murs " candidly 

 allows" [avoue franchement) that on this point M. Verreaux^s 

 correspondent was in error. We, therefore, thought M. Des 

 Murs " unwise " in accepting M. Verreaux's correspondent's 

 statements on other points relating to the habits of this bird. 

 M. Des Murs' description of the egg of the Balceniceps is suffi- 

 ciently accurate, and we have no fault to find with it. As con- 

 cerns the second point, we admit that the subject of zoological 

 classification is one on which considerable latitude of opinion 

 is allowable. But when any new and startling theory is pro- 

 pounded, it is hard upon the critic not to be allowed the use even 

 of a note or two of admiration ! 



Mr. S. Stevens has kindly communicated to us the following 

 extracts from letters recently received from Mr. A. R. Wallace : — 



"Awaiya, Ceram, Nov. 26, 1859. 



" I have nothing particular to say now, except that Ceram is 

 a wretched place for birds. I have been here a month, and have 

 got literally not a single pretty or good bird of any kind, except 

 the small Lory I sent before from Amboyna ; and, what is more, 

 neither European residents nor natives know of a single handsome 

 bird in the country, except one or two Lories and Pigeons, which 

 I have not yet got or seen. When Mr. Gould and others talked 

 about the very fine birds of Ceram, you should have asked them 

 to specify them, that I might know what to inquire or look for. 

 My only hope is now in the eastern part of the island ; but I 

 cannot expect there anything but one or two fine Lories. In 



