126 Letters, Announcements, S^c. 



along the river-banks^ and on the islands all the way north 

 to Stanavoialachta. Even such dips and hollows of the tun- 

 dra as can boast a patch of willow-scrub hold a few pairs. 

 We got the first of the migrants of this species at Ust Zylma 

 on the 23rd May ; and they soon became very plentiful in the 

 woods and valleys around Ust Zylma. 



Often were we puzzled by the mimicry of this fine songster. 

 Oa one occasion, after listening for some time to the well- 

 known musical cry of the Terek Sandpiper, tirr-r-r-whui, 

 blended with the songs of scores of other birds on approach- 

 ing we saw our little friend perched high in a willow-bush, 

 with throat distended, bill rapidly vibrating, and uttering the 

 tirr-r-r-ivhui with perfect distinctness. We have heard the 

 Blue-throated Warbler also imitate, amongst other bird-voices, 

 the trilling first notes of the Wood-Sandpiper, or the full rich 

 song of the Redwing. Sometimes he runs these together in 

 such a way as to form a perfect medley of bird-music, defy- 

 ing one who is not watching to say whether or not the whole 

 bird- population of that part of the forest are equally en- 

 gaged in the concert at the same time. 

 [To be continued.] 



XIII. — Letters, Announcements, &^c. 

 The following letters, addressed '^To the Editor of 'The 

 Ibis,^ " have been received : — 



Sir, — I notice that Mr. Gurney, in his notes on Mr. 

 Sharpe's Catalogue of the Accipitres, remarks on the omis- 

 sion of Circus aeruginosus and C. melanoleucus from the Ceylon 

 list. I fancy that Mr. Sharpe includes Ceylon under the 

 head of " India " in the habitat he gives for eastern Raptors, 

 as there are a number of similar omissions, such as Falco 

 communis, F. peregrinator , F. chicquera, F. severus, Cerchneis 

 tinnunculus, C. amurensis, Nisdetus fasciatus, Lophotriorchis 

 kieneri, Polioaetus ichthyaetus, Buteo desertorum, Neophron 

 ginginianus, which are all visitors or stragglers to this island. 

 With regard to C. ceruginosus, I may say that it is our most 

 abundant Harrier, arriving at the end of October, and fre- 



