458 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



Sirs, — I am able to record for the first time the occurrence 

 of Pratincula maura in tbis island. A specimen of this bird 

 was shot by a Chinaman in the neighbourhood of the town 

 of Kuching in January last, and Mr. A. Everett has very 

 kindly identified it for me. I think that I may safely trust 

 in the judgment of so experienced an ornithologist. 



Yours, &c., 



Robert Shelford, 

 Curator of the Snraivak Museum. 

 Sarawak Museum, Borneo, 

 April 5th, 1898. 



Sirs, — In your notice of Mrs. H. Blackburn's 'Birds from 

 Moidart and elsewhere/ in ' The Ibis' for 1896, p. 266, you 

 appear to wish for information as to the colour of the irides 

 in the young Carrion-Crow. 



I can say nothing of this species, but I have had many 

 opportunities of seeing that in the young of the Indian 

 House-Crow {Corvus splendens) the irides are blue, as is 

 stated by the lady above mentioned to be the case in the 

 young of the Grey-backed Crow. This colour remains till 

 after the birds are fledged. I have also noted that in a 

 fledged young Jungle-Crow {Corvus culminatus) the irides 

 were dark grey. The interior of the mouth of this bird 

 was pale fleshy ; and in young C. splendens it is pinky red, 

 becoming black in the adult of this species. 



I remember once observing a red-mouthed Raven in the 

 London Zoological Gardens, and should much like to know 

 whether it is the usual thing for the Corvidse (or Corvus at 

 all events) to change the colour of the inside of the mouth 

 with the advent of maturity, as our House-Crow does. 



Yours, &c., 



Frank Finn. 



India Museum, Calcutta, 

 May 5th, 1898. 



Sirs, — Mr. H. J. Pearson, in his interesting paper on 

 birds observed on Waigats &c,, in the last number of ' The 

 Ibis,' writes as follows: — " Motacilla alba. A male was shot 



