Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, i^c. 335 



"The most important operation, however, is that at Cape St. 

 Lucas, at the end of the Gulf of California, in charge of Mr. 

 Xantus (de Vesey). He collected 2000 birds at Fort Tejon in 

 some fifteen months, under great disadvantages. He now has 

 almost his whole time to devote to Natural History, and a re- 

 gular assistant besides. If nothing untoward occurs, he will 

 exhaust the Western part of Mexico in the two years of his re- 

 sidence. 



" We are devoting particular attention to completing our col- 

 lection of North American eggs, and have issued widely a circular 

 already sent you. It already promises good results. 



" We have had a few birds from Piura in Peru, and fifty 

 species from the line of the Panama railroad. I am going to 

 arrange all our South American birds in one series. We have 

 a dozen or two of Trinidad birds in alcohol, and are promised a 

 series of Bahaman specimens by a gentleman just returned 

 thence." 



Professor Baird also mentions, that the ' Sacred Vulture*' 

 of Bartram, a bird quite unknown since its alleged discovery in 

 the last century, is said to have been met with again in Florida ; 

 and in relation to the same bird we have seen two letters from 

 Mr. Alexander S. Taylor, of Monterey, California, reprinted from 

 the ' San Francisco Herald.' Neither of these communications, 

 however, contain anything very positive on the subject ; and the 

 statement of the " intelligent Sonoranian " that " the bird has 

 four wings" renders us unwilling to place much confidence in 

 the rest of his details on this subject. 



The new pair of Bennett's Cassow^ary [Casuarius bennettii), 

 announced in our last Number as likely to be added to the col- 

 lection at the Zoological Gardens, arrived in good condition a 

 few weeks ago, so that the Society now possesses three living 

 examples of this remarkable bird. Dr. Bennett, of Sydney, the 

 liberal donor of these animals, is himself now on a visit to this 



* Vide Cassin, B. of Cal., Oregon, &c. p. 57. 



