208 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, l^c. 



The subjoined communication relates to the early appearance 

 of the Night Jar : — 



Wliilst walking home from dinner on the evenings of the 4th 

 and 5th of this month, I was extremely surprised to hear the 

 note of the Night Jar {Caprimulgus europaus). On the former 

 evening I fancied I must have been mistaken, as this bird is 

 generally one of the latest migratory arrivals. The second even- 

 ing, however, whilst standing still for a few minutes, the bird 

 crossed the road, and uttered its familiar cry just in front of me. 

 The Sallows are in many places in full bloom, and the spring 

 Moths, such as Tamiocampa gothica, cruda and stabilis, and Phi- 

 galia pilosaria, are out, whilst all the hybernating Lepidoptera 

 are on the wing ; so the Caprimulgi are in no danger of paying the 

 price of starvation for their premature arrival. 



Rev. H. Harpur Crewe. 



Drinkstone, Woolpit, Suffolk, March 9, 1859. 



Mr. Fraser^s last letters are dated from Nanegal, on the 

 western slope of Pichincha, February 12th. The following 

 extracts relate to an expedition made from Riobamba to Chim- 

 borazo, for the purpose of obtaining specimens of the beautiful 

 Humming-bird {Oreotrochilus chimborazo), which is only found 

 on that mountain : — 



" Riobamba is situated in the centre of a large sandy plain, at 

 an elevation of 9600 feet above the sea-level. Having crossed 

 this at 2 P.M., we passed through a small pueblo called Lican. 

 Our road now lay round and between barren hills, with every 

 sheltered spot in a state of cultivation, until at 3*30 p.m. we came 

 to Calpi — a considerable pueblo, but without water. As the 

 rain was beginning, and there was every appearance of a 

 storm, we put up for the night here, under the eaves of an 

 Indian hut. Our poor beasts had to go without food. It 

 rained heavily all night. About 8 a.m. it cleared off very fine, 

 and we thought it advisable to push forward, although we were 

 passing the last house on the road. We now entered the mono- 

 tonous paramo, where a considerable number of cattle were 

 grazing. Chimborazo, cloud-capped, the snow descending very 



