384 Letters, Announcements, &^x\ 



minor). This was obtained some months ago^ and has been 

 placed in a pond adjoining one tenanted by the Whooper 

 [Cygnus ferus) ; so that the difFereuees between these two 

 allies are readily appreciable on comparison. 



Among the small Waders in the Fish-honse are also to be 

 now seen examples of the Knot and Grey Plover in full 

 summer plumage. 



Obituary. — H. G. L. Reichenbach, Med, et Phil. Dr., well 

 known to all ornithologists by his ' Avium Systema Naturale ' 

 and ' Vollstandige Naturgeschichte der Vogel/ died in Dresden 

 on the 17th of March last, at the age of 86. For the last 

 ten years Dr. Reichenbach had lived in retirement, owing to 

 physical infirmities, and had given up the post of Director of 

 the Natural-History Museum and of the Botanic Gardens in 

 that city, which he long held. In the former post, as we need 

 hardly remind our readers, he has been succeeded by Dr. A. 

 B. Meyer. 



Valerian von Russow, C'onservator of the Zoological Mu- 

 seum of the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg, died in 

 that city on the 18th of January last, at the early age of 37 

 years, in consequence, we believe, of disease contracted during 

 his return from his recent scientific expedition to Turkestan, 

 whence he brought back large and valuable collections. Hr. 

 V. Russow was specially acquainted with the birds of the 

 Baltic provinces of Russia, and has left behind him a MS. 

 work on the ornis of that district, which, it is trusted, may 

 be hereafter published. He has been succeeded in his office 

 by Hr. Modest Bogdanow. 



Thomas Knight Salmon, a well-known zoological collector 

 in South America, died on the 5th of May last at Guildford, 

 at the early age of 38, of disease of the lungs. Mr. Salmon 

 was brought up as a mechanical engineer in the works of the 

 London and North- Western Railway Company at Wolverton, 

 and was for some years foreman of an engineering establish- 

 ment at Guildford. Being compelled to abandon his profes- 

 sion from delicacy in the lungs, he devoted himself to natural 

 history, to which he had always shown a great liking fi'ora 



