804 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



*Vaughan, R. E. Commander R.N, ; 11. Naval Barracks, 

 Chatham. 



Venning, F. E. W. Capt., 31st Punjabis, in Baluchistan. 



*Wardlaw-Ramsay, R. G. Col. Commanding No. 3 Section 

 Forth Defences. 



*Wollaston, A. F. R. Surgeon, H.M.S. 'Agincourt.' 

 Woosnam, R, B. Lieut., Worcester Regt., at the Darda- 

 nelles. !& (see ' Ibis,' 1915, p. 781.) 



*Wynne, R. O. Lieut., 2nd Bat. Bedfordshire Regt., in 

 France. 



Discovery in New Zealand. — Mr. Louis T. Griffin, of the 

 Auckland Museum, New Zealand, sends us the following 

 extract from the ' Auckland Herald ' of June 21 last : — 



"A remarkable discovery of bird-life has been made by 

 Mr. R. E. Clouston, mining engineer, of Rockville, in 

 CoUingwood, Nelson district. Mr. Clouston knows a great 

 deal about bird-life in New Zealand, and, while exploring the 

 Gouland Downs — a block of Crown land, some 26 miles 

 from Rockville, — he discovered an entire colony of birds of 

 rare species. 



" First, there was a rookery of Great Kiwi (Apteryx 

 haasti) — not a few stray families, but thousands of them — 

 grubbing about in patches of tussock land, which alternated 

 with clumps of virgin bush. There were not only Kiwis, 

 but thousands of Kakapos, which are so rare that an adver- 

 tisement appeared in an Auckland paper a few months ago 

 offering £8 for a pair of them. Mr. Clouston arrived here 

 with twenty-five of the big Kiwis. 



" 'I've been a bird man all my life,' said Mr. Clouston, 

 ' and have travelled all over New Zealand, and have never 

 seen anything like it. It is a really wonderful discovery 

 from a scientific point of view, and it will mean the preser- 

 vation of the various species. The birds I have with me are 



