Letters, Extracts from Corresjjondence, N^utices, 6\C. 215 



" Some time ago, I met a stranger who had been travelling in 

 the Middle Island of New Zealand (I wonder if he will ever read 

 this). Of course I was curious about the Apteryx owenii; 

 and I showed him Gould's figure of the bird, and tried to make 

 him comprehend some notion of its value. ' Good/ said he, 

 * I know it well : we ate four of them in one pie 1 ' Alas for 

 Apteryx oivenii, as well as for the last surviving specimens of 

 Dinornis or Palapteryx (if such there yet remain), to be put 

 into a pie ! ' Gather your roses while you may,^ Mr. Editor, 

 and collect your impennates before this pestilent civilization 

 spoils and ruins everything !" 



" Calcutta, Janviary 19. 

 " In my small garden near the entrance of my residence is a 

 tolerably umbrageous tree, the branches of which are conve- 

 nient for hanging up dendrophytic orchids, ferns, &c. Now, 

 from the foliage of this tree I have several times lately heard a 

 remarkably sweet, low, continuous warbling note, and could not 

 imagine what bird it came from— supposing it, however, to be 

 some delicate little Becfin. This morning I was determined to 

 settle the question ; so I brought out my spy-glass, and, lo ! 

 what should the songster prove to be but Lanius superciliosus 

 (Indian variety, phoe7iicurus), which I had only known heretofore 

 as an exceedingly harsh chatterer ? I have much pleasure there- 

 fore in noting this redeeming point about this bird ; and it is not 

 the only one: for, harsh as his ordinary chattering may be, either 

 that chatter, or the brisk and smart apparition of the pretty little 

 sprightly Pied Wagtail {Motacilla Juzoniensis) — one or the other 

 — is annually, to us here who note and observe, the earliest 

 familiar token of the most welcome approach of what we desig- 

 nate by comparison the ' cold ' season. Moreover, I have never 

 observed this Lanius to be murderous ; and, as regards other 

 birds, I doubt if it ever is so." 



" January 22. 

 '^Babu Rajendra Mallika has just got another fine batch of 

 things, including seven Victoria Crown-Pigeons {Goura victoria), 

 a superb male Mia'oglossus to match with his female (the 6 is 

 considerably larger than the $ ), and one of those beautiful 

 Ground-Pigeons [Caloenas cruenia vel luzonica). 



