1 92 1.] Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 757 



young at hand, and find tliat their plumages are exactly 

 analogous to those of the Eagle-Owl ; at a certain age they 

 are covered with a long second down, bearing the short first 

 down at the tip, to l)e covered over in a few weeks or so by 

 the "juvenile "" feather plumage, also bearing the short first 

 down at the tip. 



In the Game Birds we have tliree definite plumages before 

 the first winter plumage — the first being a down plumage 

 and the others true feathers; and it is perhaps interesting to 

 note that among a small percentoge uf males in domestic 

 poultry the second plumage, with the exception of the flights, 

 is entirely suppressed. 



The question of these plumages, wliich is of considerable 

 interest, needs much careful further study. 



J. IjEWIS Bonhote. 



Park Hill House, Carslialtoii, 

 25 July, 1921. 



The Ornithological Society of France. 

 We welcome tiie announcement in the July number oi 

 the ' Uevue Fran9aise d'Ornithologie ' of the formation and 

 first meeting of the " Socicte Ornithologique de France/' 

 which was held on 29 May last in the Zoological Theatre 

 of the Museum in Paris. M. iSIeuegaux presided, and the 

 following officers were elected : — Hon. Presidents, MM. 

 Bureau and Simon ; President, M. A. Mencgaux ; Vice- 

 Presidents, Dr. Arnault and M. Lavauden ; Secretary, M. J. 

 Rapine; and Treasurer, M, Villette de Pingues. 



The Oxford University Expedition to Spitsbergen, 1921. 

 We are alad to announce that the members of the first 

 party of the Oxford Expedition have now returned safely to 

 England. Some alterations in the original plans had to be 

 made, owing to difficulties of transport during a period of 

 strikes both in England and Norway. From 13 June to 

 23 June a biological survey of the southern part of Bear 

 Island was carried out by a party of seven under the 



