Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 223 



in science assembled from all parts of the world. We can 

 assure them that they will receive a hearty welcome and 

 learn much that is new to them. 



The R.O.U. Expedition for the Exploration, of Central 

 Neiv Guinea. — We are glad to say that letters have been 

 received from several members of our New-Guinea Expedition 

 giving good accounts of its progress so far*. Messrs. Good- 

 l'ellow, Wollaston, Rawliugs, and Marshall, who left Mar- 

 seilles in the P. & O. S.S. ' Marmora ' on the 29th of October, 

 arrived at Singapore on November 20th, and at Batavia nine 

 days later. They were to start in a few days for Dobbo, 

 a much frequented trade-centre in the Aru Islands, well 

 known in former days to Mr. Wallace. Mr. Shortridge, just 

 T'cturned from a short expedition to Kangean Island, had 

 joined them at Batavia. Mr. Stalker, who had been in 

 Ceram, would either come to Batavia too, or go on direct to 

 the Ke Islands for the purpose of hiring native carriers, who 

 are usually to be met with there. 



The party hoped to be able to land at the selected spot on 

 the south coast of New Guinea early in this month. 



News of Mr. Bates. — Our excellent correspondent, Mr. Geo. 

 L. Bates, seems to be now quietly settled at Bitye, in 

 Southern Kamerun (see map, ' Ibis/ 1908, p. 558), where he 

 has a " rubber plantation " and collects birds. Writing on 

 October 21st, he says he is paying special attention to nestlings 

 and is sure there is much to be learned from their study, in 

 which we quite agree with him. He wishes to exchange 

 specimens with a Naturalist living in some adjoining locality 

 on the West Coast, so as to extend his knowledge of West 

 African Birds. Mr. Bates has recently described three new 

 species in the Bulletin of the B. O. U. (x.w. pp. 26-28) 

 as Mel'ignomon rohustus, Parisoma holospudium, and Pedilo- 

 rhynchus brevirostris. 



* Cf. 'The Ibis,' 1909, p. 715. 



