346 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



I possess a Koel in immature plumage, procured by Mr. 

 Wallace, and marked from Flores ; whether correctly so I rather 

 doubt. Its entire upper surface is rusty-brown, relieved on 

 each feather by spots, centres, or bars of light rufous. The 

 rufous caudal bands are more numerous, narrower, and more 

 irregular than we find in E. ransomi, Bp., from Cerara. The en- 

 tire under surface of the bird is dirty-white, each feather with a 

 brown centre or else with two or three brown irregular transverse 

 bars. The dimensions are about equal to those of E. ransomi, 

 Bp. If from Flores, this specimen represents a species distinct 

 from the Javan form ; but I suspect that it is the Ceram bird in 

 young female garb. 



As I consider Cuculus taitiensis, Sparrm., to be generically se- 

 parable from Eudynamis, this closes the species of true Koels 

 known to me. It is, however, not unlikely that a distinct spe- 

 cies inhabits Timor, and another form Ternate. 



XXXI. — Letters, Announcements, ^c. 

 We have received the following letters, addressed " To the 



Editorof 'The Ibis'":— 



Dobroyde, Dec. lOtli, 1868. 



Sir, — I am not a little surprised to find Professor M'Coy as- 

 serting (Ibis, 1868, p. 122) that the specimens of the lately 

 discovered species of Pardalotus described by me were not sent 

 to me until after he had published a description of them in the 

 ' Australasian ' newspaper of Melbourne, and thereby insinuating 

 that my descriptions were taken from the single skin of a male 

 bird which he sent to me on the 31st of December, 1866, while 

 his description appeared on the 29th. Allow me to inform the 

 readers of 'The Ibis' that the three specimens (two males and 

 a female) from which I took my descriptions were received at 

 the Sydney Museum about the middle of November, that my 

 descrii)tions of them were drawn up, by the kind permission of 

 Mr. Kreff't, very shortly after, and that, at the time Prof. M'Coy's 

 specimen reached me, my descriptions had been posted by the 

 mail which had left for England some ten or twelve days })re- 

 viously. I am, Sir, yours, &c., 



Edward P. Ramsay. 



