57.2 Letters, Extracts, Nut'iccs, ^c. 



the author personally, many of them in situ, and show the 

 actual surroundings of the birds' homes. The hlack and 

 white drawings of the birds are by Mr. Neville Cayley, so 

 well known for his life-like drawings and paintings of birds. 

 The letterpress will contain descriptions of the birds, their 

 nests, eggs, and haunts, and an account of their life-history. 

 The preparation of the plates is now well advanced. The 

 "work will be issued in parts, as the letterpress can be got 

 ready. The price to subscribers will probably not exceed 

 25 shillings for the complete work, uncoloured. 



Cajjt. Boyd Alexander. — Our excellent correspondent 

 Capt. Boyd Alexander, of the 7th Rifle Brigade (who is 

 always somewhere "in the front''), has been seconded, and 

 has left England for service with the Gold-Coast Con- 

 stabulary. In a letter, dated on board the R.M.SS. ' Jebba,' 

 on May 22nd, he writes that he was expecting to join the 

 Relief Column for Coomassie at Cape Coast, and " hoped to 

 see a little bit of active service." Just at present, he feared, 

 he would hardly be able to make a collection of birds, but 

 Capt. Alexander is sure to keep his eyes open. 



The new Catalogue of Eyys. — Mr. Oates's 'Catalogue of the 

 Birds'-Eggs in the Collection of the British Museum,' the 

 first volume of which is in the press, will make altogether 

 four volumes, each with about 15 plates. The total number 

 of specimens dealt with is estimated at 60,000. The classi- 

 fication of the 'Hand-list of Birds' will be followed. 

 References to the particular eggs contained in the Collection 

 will be added, together with descriptions, measurements, and 

 other details. 



