172 Letters, Extracts, Notices, <^-c. 



that time (some ten years ago) till the present day, this 

 priceless and unique specimen has lain undescribed in the 

 La Plata Museum/^ 



Margarita, West Indies. — As there has been some talk of 

 sending a naturalist to Margarita, on the eoast ol' Venezuela, 

 it may be useful to call attention to the interesting narrative 

 o£ a visit to the Island lately made by Dr. J F. Chittenden, 

 C.M.Z.S., of Trinidad, who gives a very favourable account 

 of it ('Timehri,^ n. s. vii. p. 56) as a health-resort. Riding 

 from Pampotar to Porlamar (the chief port) through the 

 Llanos, Dr. Chittenden says that birds of every variety and 

 in gay plumage were abundant. He never saw so many 

 together out of an aviary. It seems that Margarita is easily 

 accessible from Carupano, in Venezuela. 



Appointments to the Staff of the Field Columbian Museum 

 at Chicago. — We learn from our contemporary ' The Auk ' 

 that our friend Mr. D. G. Elliot has been added to the 

 scientific staff of the Field Columbian Museum of Chicago, 

 he having recently been appointed Director of the Depart- 

 ment of Zoology; also that Mr. George K. Cherrie, for the 

 last six years connected with the Museo Nacional at San 

 Jose, Costa Rica, has retired from the service of the Costa- 

 Rican Government, and has accepted the position of 

 Assistant in the Department of Ornithology at the same Mu- 

 seum, of which, as already announced {' Ibis,' 1894, p. 580), 

 Mr. C. B. Cory has recently been made Curator. There can 

 be no doubt that the Field Columbian Museum has thus 

 secured the services of three very able men. 



Dr. R. W. ShufekWs Address. — Our esteemed correspon- 

 dent Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, we are pleased to learn, has 

 been appointed " Associate in Zoology" at the Smithsonian 

 Institution. His future address will therefore be " Smitli- 

 Kouiau Institution, Washington, D.C., U.S.A." 



