Letters, Announcements, ^c. 469 



XXXVII. — Letters, Announcements, S^c. 

 We have received the following letters addressed to the 

 Editors of 'The Ibis:' — 



Bognor, Sussex, 

 4th March, 1882. 



Sirs, — In vol. ix. p. 367, of ' Stray Feathers ' (lately 

 received) is "A Tentative Catalogue of the Birds of the 

 Deccan and South Mahratta Country/' by Capt. E. A. Butler, 

 H.M. 83rd Regt,, in which that gentleman, after giving a 

 list of the authorities whom he has consulted, including 

 Major Lloyd's List of Konkan Species, adds, "I am coui- 

 pelled to say (though I have always duly quoted his state- 

 ments) that I think some of Major Lloyd's specimens must 

 have been erroneously identified. It is simply incredible, for 

 instance, that Propasser rhodochrous should have occurred at 

 Matheran." 



Most persons reading the above would, I think, conclude 

 that I am responsible for the statement that Propasser rhu- 

 dochrous occurs at Matheran. As a matter of fact, the bird 

 appears in my list with the remark that " it is inserted on the 

 authority of Dr. Smith, who records it from Matheran." 

 My list, written in 1876, is a bare enumeration of species, 

 drawn up, with other lists, in the form of a preliminary 

 sketch for the use of the compiler of the ' Bombay Gazetteer.' 

 It does not profess to be a record of only personal captures, 

 but was compiled from various sources, as stated in the intro- 

 duction. Dr. J. G. Smith's "^"^ Matheran Hill" being men- 

 tioned among the authorities I had consulted. 



With regard to my identifications generally, a perusal of 

 Capt. Butler's paper leaves me with the impression that he 

 cannot have read the remarks which accompany my List, 

 while it is clear that he has failed to make himself acquainted 

 from other sources with what constitutes the Konkan — a 

 duty the more incumbent upon him if, as I gather, he has 

 no personal knowledge of the district. To illustrate my 

 meaning, T (|uote here ;i few of Capt. Butler's observations, 

 thus : — 



