340 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



and pick up Lis trained staft' of Moluccan bird-hunters. 

 Mr. Forbes lias^ we believe, received excellent promises of 

 support from some of the Australian colonies, and l)ears 

 letters of introdiu;tion to Sir Peter Scratcbley, tlie newly 

 appointed (Governor of " Torresia/' as, we suggest, the portion 

 of Southern New (Juinea which Prince Bismark has kiiully 

 allowed us to retain ouglit to be called. 



Two pupils of Prof. Moscley, who have recently distin- 

 guisjied themselves in the " Science Sciiools/' are likewise 

 shortly leaving l^ngland for oi)posit(! ((uarters of the globe. 

 Mr. G. C. ]3ourne departs for Diego (jareia, the south(;rn- 

 raost island of the Chagos group, in the Indian Ocean, never 

 before visited by a naturalist, and said to be tenanted by 

 peculiar land-birds and other endemic creatures. Mr. W. 

 Jj. Selatcr goes to British Guiana, to spend the winter under 

 the hospitable roof of Mr. E. F. im Tiuirn, when he will pay 

 some attention to the birds of the Pom croon llivcr, and 

 especially to the four-footed embryos of Opistliocomus [supra, 

 p. 118), if he can find them ! Both these youthful explorers 

 have promised to report progress to the Editors of 'The Ibis.' 



Neiv Work on the Swallows. — Messrs. Henry Sotheran 

 & Co. have issued the prospectus of a ' Monograph of the 

 Hirundinida;,' or Family of Swallows, to be prepared by 

 Mr. J{. Bowdler Sharpe and Mr. Claude W. Wyatt. The 

 work will be issued in parts at lOs. 6d. each, and completed 

 in seventeen or eighteen parts, of which Mr. Sharpe will 

 j)repare the letterpress and Mr. Wyatt the plates. Tt will 

 be nearly uniform in general character with the well-known 

 ' Monograidi of the Kingfishers' by the former. 



