192 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



Birds of Bear Island and Spit zber gen. — From the ' Bericlit ' 

 of the Senckenbergische Natiirforschende Gesellschaft of 

 Frankfort-on-the-Main for 1908 we learn that on January 

 18th, 1908, Prof. Dr. A. Konig, of Bonn, gave the members 

 of the Society an account of his recent expedition to Bear 

 Island and Spitzbergen. At Bear Island the rocks on 

 the coast were covered with countless breeding-flocks of 

 Guillemots (Uria troile, U. ringvia, and U. bruennichi) and 

 other sea-birds. An excursion was made into the desolate 

 interior of the island, where Charadrius hiaticola and Phala- 

 ropus fulicarius were found breeding, and Scoters {(Edemia 

 nigra) were seen, while feathers of Sturnus vulgaris and 

 Tardus iliacus and T. merula, eaten by foxes, were 

 discovered. 



In Spitzbergen the party visited Prince Karl's Foreland 

 and found Anser hrachyrhynchus and Bernicla leucopsis 

 breeding there. Two nests of Somaterta spectabilis were 

 obtained, and a pair of Xema sabinii with their nest and eggs 

 were secured. Dr. Konig claims to have added Mareca 

 penelope and Scolopax rusticula to the avifauna of Spitzbergen. 



Increased Fertility of the Domestic Fowl. — It would appear 

 that in Australia the Domestic Fowl, under special treatment, 

 can be greatly advanced in fertility. In the official report 

 of the " Egg-laying Competition " lately held at the Agri- 

 cultural College, Roseworthy, South Australia, some sur- 

 prising facts on this subject are given by Mr. D. F. Lawrie, 

 " Poultry-Expert and Lecturer." Seventy-five pens, each 

 of one cock and six hens, were shewn in the competition. 

 The total number of eggs laid by all the 450 hens in one year 

 was 80,959, making an average for each pen (of six hens) 

 of 1079, and an average for each hen of 179. The special 

 breeds selected for the " Egg-laying Competition " were 

 White Leghorns, Black Orpingtons, and Silver Wyandottes, 

 but the White Leghorns were by far the most in number. 

 The pen which produced the greatest number (1531) in the 

 year was of White Leghorns. These remarkable results are 

 attributed to the " continued careful breeding of laying 



