Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^'c. 293 



Nuthatch as belonging to the Scansores) which ought to 

 have been avoided, and we cannot say that we are altogether 

 satisfied with the plates. 



XXIV. — Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



We have received the following letters, addressed to the 

 Editors, since our last issue : — 



Sirs, — I have been engaged for some years in collecting 

 information about the methods of catching wild birds em- 

 ployed in different parts of the world. This autumn I 

 visited the North of Italy, to study the Italian Uccellande. 



Professor Giglioli, Mr. Tait, and the Dean of Cairo have, 

 among others, given me valuable aid. Mr. Littledale, of 

 Baroda, has already forwarded a most interesting collection 

 of snares. It occurs to me as possible that some of our 

 Foreign Members, or brother Ibises residing abroad, may be 

 kind enough to help on these enquiries. At all events I 

 venture to make known my anxiety to explore the subject as 

 thoroughly as circumstances may render possible. 



The old Italian works of Antonio Valli and Olina are full 

 of interesting particulars ; but I hope to trace out the evolu- 

 tion of fowling on a wide basis of facts. 



Yours &c., 



Carlisle, Dec. 13tli, 1894. II. A. Macpherson. 



Sirs, — As I visited the Zurich Museums a few weeks 

 after Dr. Sclater, I should like to supplement his informa- 

 tion with a few remarks. It is perfectly true that there is 

 no Swiss collection of Aves in the University Museum ; but 

 it must not be inferred that there is no Swiss collection of 

 birds at Zurich. 



There is a capital museum of Swiss birds and mammals at 

 the Ziirichhorn, and the proprietor (Mr. Nageli) is most 

 obliging in furnishing information to visitors. I was de- 

 lighted to find what a variety of birds visit the Canton of 



