108 Letters, Announcements, S^c. 



as we can make out, is the first time this species has been 

 recorded from here. 



Our last prize is another visitant from the Australian con- 

 tinent, a magnificent example of what we make out to be a 

 female Falco melanogenys, Gould. This powerful Falcon was 

 killed at the Government penal farm, '' Yahoue," by the 

 superintendent, who is on the look-out for Hawks and such 

 like for us, the slaying of these being permitted by the colo- 

 nial authorities. It weighed just 2 lb. Length (in the 

 flesh, of course) 17", wing 13" 6'", tail 7" 9'", tarse 2" 2'", girth 

 round middle of thigh 3" 6'". These measurements slightly 

 exceed those given by Mr. Sharpe of a female in his ' Cata- 

 logue,' but we feel sure that our bird must be assigned to 

 that species, of which this is the first recorded capture from 

 here. 



This part of the country has yielded us two other Hawks, 

 viz. a splendid adult female of Accipiter haplochrous, Sclater 

 (Ibis, 1859, p. 275, pi. viii), and a young one in the mottled 

 plumage — also two specimens oi Haliastur sphenurus (Vieill.), 

 a species which apparently does not confine itself to a fish 

 diet, but preys on the farmers^ chickens, the remains of which 

 we found in their crops ! 



Leopold Layard is just leaving for a visit to the New 

 Hebrides, where he will remain about three months, visiting 

 the different islands where there are plantations and cobra 

 (or beche-de-mer) fishing-stations. His spare time he will 

 devote to ornithology, having taken with him a collecting-gun 

 (20 bore, left barrel on the new choke principle) , manufactured 

 expressly for the purpose by a well-known brother of the 

 "Ibis.-'-' We hope to report further of this weapon as a 

 " collecting-gun ;" meanwhile we cannot help alluding to an 

 exploit of our old favourite, " Long Tom,'' the shooting of 

 which is wonderfully improved by the use, over the powder, 

 of some veiy thick, elastic, felt wadding, lately sent us. We 

 are using ^ drm. of powder and ^ oz. of shot, and have fired 

 about forty shots without one miss ! Forty birds for 5 oz. 

 of shot and 10 drms. of powder !! 



E. L. & L. C. Layard. 



