568 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



very orowded, and the specimens are not yet arranged in 

 scientific order. 



Perhaps the most interesting part of the Museum, and 

 certainly that in which Whitaker takes chief pride and deliglit, 

 is the very fine series of Tunisian birds collected by himself 

 during his many expeditions in the interior of the Regency. 

 This collection, which is in the skin, is kept in cabinets in 

 a smaller room adjoining the great hall, which is also used 

 as a study, and is fitted up with libraries. The Tunisian 

 collection, as also a collection from Marocco, contains types 

 of several new species and subspecies, and is especially rich 

 in Larks and Chats, among the latter possessing several 

 specimens of that rare, recently discovered species, S'lxicola 

 seebohmi. The museum also has its working-rooms and a 

 curator. 



Whitaker has also, this year, been again successful in 

 breeding Porphyries. A pair of these birds {Porjjhyrio 

 ccerifleus Vandelli) made a nest on the gronnd among the 

 stems of a clump of bamboos soon after the middle of last 

 March, while I was staying at Malfitano. The nest was 

 rather large, and was constructed chiefly of dry bamboo- 

 leaves. I was never able to see the eggs, for from the time 

 the first egg was laid one of the parent birds, and occasioiially 

 both, was always on the nest. I have since heard from 

 Whitaker that the brood has been successfully hatched. 



Yours &c., 



E. Cavendish Taylor. 



Florence, April 20th, 1900. 



Sirs, — Although not a member of the B. O. U., I have 

 for many years been a subscriber to ' The Ibis,^ and possess 

 the entire set from 1859 to the present date. This is my 

 excuse for taking the liberty of offering a suggestion which 

 will, I tliiuk, make your publication more useful to sub- 

 scribers abroad. 



It is only a small matter in connection with your valuable 

 " Notices of Recent Ornithological Publications " — viz., that 

 you should insert at the end of the title of book mentioned 



