o6i Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



The following letter has been received from Mr. Boyd 



Alexander : — 



Victoria, Kamerun, 

 April 9, 1909. 



I arrived here about a week ago from Fernando Po after 

 making collections on San Thome, Anuabon^ and Principe. 

 These three islands have not come up to my expectations, but 

 the results in the last may atone for the deficiencies of the 

 two former. San Thome is very mountainous and thickly 

 wooded, but the central mountain does not rise high enough 

 to possess a fauna distinct from that of the lower land ; the 

 only two species peculiar to the mountainous district are 

 Nectarinia thomensis and Oriolus crassirostris. 



After a month's work on San Thome I chartered a small 

 Portuguese steamer which took me to Annabon. This is a 

 very beautiful little island, and from a geographical point of 

 view is quite unique in having a fine lake in the crater of its 

 volcano at an altitude of over 1000 feet. It is thickly 

 wooded, and one would have thought it a perfect paradise for 

 birds ; but apart from Terpsiphone neivtoni, Zusterops griseo- 

 virens, Scops fece, and 7 M/YM;-CB?ta ma/Aer6n, there was nothing 

 more to be found. I could not discover the new Huplopelia 

 described by Salvadori. After leaving Annabon I went to 

 Principe, where I made a very interesting collection. You 

 will be surprised to hear that the Parrot on that island is 

 quite distinct from Psittacus erithacus — in fact I might 

 almost describe it as a black Parrot. I am sending home 

 the description of it, and propose to call it P. princeps *. 

 Even when on tlie wing to a careful observer it appears very 

 much darker than P. erithacus. The natives also recognise 

 it as being distinct. I have a good series of adult birds, 

 and the characters remain constant. This Parrot appears to 

 be decreasing very much. Keulemans in his day (1867) 

 reckoned them by thousands, but at the piesent time they 

 could hardly be told by the hundred. The forest portion 

 of the island, whicVi is their stronghold, is being rapidly 

 converted into cocoa-plantations, while the planters shoot a 



* [It is described under that name in Bull. B. 0. C. vol. xxiii. p. 74 

 (1909).— Edds.] 



