738 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



I find that it belongs to the slender-billed or eastern 

 form^ Nucifraga caryocatactes macrorhynchos, and it is 

 therefore interesting as indieating, so far as is known, the 

 western limit of the irruption of this bird in Europe during the 

 last months of 1900. A Nutcracker, which may also belong 

 to this form, has been recorded by the Rev. H. Marmaduke 

 Langdale as having been shot at Chilgrove, in West Susses, 

 on Dec. 21st, 1900 (Zool. 1901, p. 107). 



I have followed Dr. Stejneger (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 

 1888, p. 426) in using C. L. Brehm's name macrorhynchos 

 rather than leptorhyncha of Dr. R. Blasius. 



Yours &c., 



W. RUSKIN BUTTERFIELD. 



4 Stauhupe Place, St. Leouard's-ou-Sea, 

 July Gth, 1901. 



Sirs, — From Herr Herluf Winge's letter (see above, 

 p. 51G) it would appear that the naturalists of Copenhagen 

 are unable to discover any traces of Pelicans in West 

 Jutland, and that, notwithstanding six years of " much 

 ^nquirj^, only negative evidence is accumulating ^^ ! One 

 may be permitted to wonder what form these lengthy and 

 interesting enquiries have taken. I imagine that a working 

 field-ornithologist Avould settle tlie point in a few days. I 

 notice, however, that Herr Winge admits that he has only 

 visited the Ringkjobing fjord twice in twenty years. I 

 venture to suggest to our friends in Denmark that this is 

 not a matter to be solved by references to musty tomes, or by 

 antiquarian researches, even though they extend back to the 

 Stone Age. It is a simple question of outdoor observation. 

 May I contribute one further link of evidence which, if not 

 positive, is at least not negative? 1 quote an extract from a 

 letter addressed to me last July by an English naturalist : — 



" I have just read your letter in 'The Ibis' on Pelicans 

 in West Jutland, It may interest you to know (for in a 

 measure it corroborates what you saw) that, along with a 

 friend, I spent a fortnight there last spring (May, 1900). 



