Letters, Extracts, Sfc. 431 



detail has been given. Especial attention has been paid to 

 the solvent glands. The general part, and most of the 

 numerous illustrations, will chiefly interest the histologist, 

 but the systematist will hardly derive much help or hints 

 from this part of avine anatomy. 



XXXVI. — Letters, Proceedings of the British Ornithologists' 

 Union, Extracts, Obituary, kc. 



We have received the following letters addressed to " The 

 Editors of ' The Ibis ' " :— 



Sirs, — On the lfith January last, through the kindness of 

 Mr. Arthur W. Elford, British Vice-Consul a-t Catania, 

 Sicily, I came into possession of a fine specimen of Porphyrio 

 altera Thompson, which had been obtained on the 4th of 

 December, 190.2, at the Pantauo di Catania, an extensive tract 

 of marshy land near the town of that name. The bird in 

 question was shot by a local sportsman, Signor Vincenzo 

 Auteri, who, fortunately recognising its rarity, took it to a 

 taxidermist and had the skin prepared by him. The specimen 

 was not sexed, but, judging from its wing-length (6*10 inches), 

 I presume it to be a male. The average wing-length in a series 

 of specimens of this species in my collection is 6 inches in 

 the case of males, and 5*60 inches in that of females. 



This makes the sixth recorded instance of the occurrence 

 of this tropical species in Europe, four of the previous 

 captures having been effected in Italy and one in Spain. 

 Of the four examples obtained in Italy, no less thau three 

 come from the neighbourhood of Lucca in Tuscany, while 

 the fourth is from the vicinity of Pachiuo in Sicily (Giglioli 

 'Avifauna Italica,' p. 353). 



According to Signor Auteri, another of these birds was 

 seen by him about the middle of January this year not far 

 from the Lake of Lentini, also near Catania, but was not 

 secured. 



I may also here mention having lately heard from the 

 naturalist Blanc of Tunis that a specimen of Porphyrio 

 alleni was obtained in December last near Bizerta in North 

 Tunisia, and was prepared by him for a customer. 



