156 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



Attempted Re-introduction of the Great Bustard into 

 England. — We are pleased to learn that serious attempts are 

 being made to reinstate the Great Bustard [Otis tarda) in 

 some of the districts of East Anglia where it was formerly 

 abundant^ and we see no reason why they should not be suc- 

 cessful. A circular has been sent out by the Norfolk and 

 Norwich Naturalists' Society to the principal landowners in 

 Norfolk^ inviting their co-operation in giving special protec- 

 tion to this bird^ which, it should be recollected, has always 

 remained one of the species included in the list of legal game. 

 It is announced that 16 Great Bustards have been liberated 

 ^'on a run of 400 acres, which will be shortly increased to 800," 

 but we trust that the "protected area" will be much more 

 extensive. It has also been arranged that additions shall be 

 made to the stock every year, which of course will materially 

 add to the chance of the re-establishment of the bird. This 

 is, indeed, a step in the right direction, very different from 

 some of the modern operations of the friends of " Acclima- 

 tization" ! 



Mr. Wiglesivorth's Expedition to the Pacific. — Mr. L. W. 

 Wiglesworth left London on November 20th, by the SS. ' Duke 

 of Devonshire,' for Brisbane direct, whence he will proceed 

 on a collecting expedition to the Fiji Islands, in continuation 

 of his studies of the Polynesian Ornis. Geographical variation 

 is a strongly pronounced feature among the birds of these 

 islands, and, although the ornithology has been made known 

 to us in a highly interesting manner by the writings of 

 Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub and of the late Mr. E. L. Layard, 

 Mr. Wiglesworth hopes there may still be something to be 

 found in the way of local races among the high mountains 

 of the larger islands. Levuka will be his headquarters 

 during the period of his visit. 



Balseniceps in East Africa. — As already announced in some 

 of the newspapers, Sir Harry Johnston has sent to the British 

 Museum, in a collection recently received, a specimen of the 

 Shoe-bill, or Whale-headed Stork as it is sometimes called 



