•i72 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



Zoological Garden has recently acquired two males of 

 G. lunulata, and from observation of these I can state that 

 the form of the tail is Partridge-like, though, as I have seen 

 one of the birds carrying it more raised and with the 

 feathers lying less closely upon each other than the other, 

 it is possible that it may on occasion assume a more or less 

 vertically folded form ; but such is not the ordinary form, at 

 any rate with these two birds. 



While on the subject of Indian game-birds, I may mention 

 that the Indian Museum has lately acquired three speci- 

 mens of the very rare Microperdix nianipurensis, fi-om 

 Manipur. One of these was received from Captain H. S. 

 Wood, I. M.S., who has shot, he says, over a hundred ; 

 and two from Lieutenant H. H. Turner, who has others. 

 Lieutenant Turner has also shown rae a specimen of Coturnix 

 japonica recently procured in Manipur. 



I ought to mention that Captain Wood states, in the letter 

 accompanying his welcome donation, that he was indebted 

 to Mr. Oates's Manual for his identification of his bird — an 

 early tribute to the usefulness of this excellent little work. 



Yours &c., 



F. Finn. 

 Indian Museum, Calcutta, 

 April 20tli, 1899. 



Sirs, — Between the last week in January, this year, and 

 the 23rd of March, a flock of about thirty Sand- Grouse 

 {Syrrhaptes paradoxus) frequented a comparatively limited 

 area on the Lincolnshire North Wolds, in the same parish 

 and on the same farm where they first appeared in 1888. 

 Their chief haunt has been a sandy field of twenty-five 

 acres, recently laid down fur permanent pasture, on the 

 northern slope of the wold, and in a very retired situation. 



The birds were first seen by the rabbiter (Grimoldly), 

 who recognized them at once, having obtained five in the 

 same locality in 1888, one of which I got (the rest, alas ! 

 were eaten). They were subsequently seen and accurately 

 described to me by other competent observers. 



