504 Letters, Announcements, i^-c. 



In 'The Ibis' for July 1874, p. 300, Mr. Blanford says, 

 " At the same time I caunot agree witli Mr. Brooks that allied 

 species do not interbreed in the wild state. I may recall a 

 few instances to his recollection ; I can assure him they are 

 facts and not speculations. First we have the. occurrence of 

 intermediate forms between Hypolais pallida and H. caligata 

 in Persia.^' 



" Intermediate forms " between Aquila fulvescens, Gray, 

 and Aquila maculata, Gm. {A. clanga, Pallas), and between 

 Anthus arhoreus and Anthus maculatus, have been heard of; 

 but these were easily resolved into one of the species named, 

 and so will it be with all other intermediate forms. H. pal- 

 lida and H. rama (Mr. Blanford refers to this bird as H. ca- 

 ligata) have different voices and songs ; and although we con- 

 sider them much alike, I think their eyes and ears are better 

 than ours, and that they would not interbreed in a wild state. 

 When two species are much alike in colour, but differ in size, 

 it is a very difficult thing to tell a large skin of the smaller 

 from a small one of the larger species ; but we must not on 

 this account conclude that they are identical. The voice of 

 the doubtful bird would probably have cleared up the diffi- 

 culty ; and we much need the help of the living bird when 

 closely affined species are under consideration. 



L. — Letters, Announcements, ^-c. 



The following lettei's, addressed " To the Editor of ' The 

 Ibis,' '' have been received : — 



Levuka, May 1876. 

 Sir, — Permit me to make a few remarks on the ''List of 

 Samoan Birds," by the Rev. S. J. Whitmee, in your number 

 for last October (1875, p. 436), for the purpose of correcting 

 one or two slight errors (or supposed errors) into which my 

 friend has fallen, and in the correction of which I think he 

 agrees with me. I say " supposed errors,'" for without con- 

 sulting the original description by the first describer, I see how 

 errors of identification mav casilv be made. The mistakes in 



