-13G Letters, Extracts, &;c. 



selected the " Far East "for his collecting-ground. A letter 

 from him, written in January last and dated at Dasao, Min- 

 danao, Philippines, informs us that lie was shortly leaving 

 that port for the high mountains in the interior of the island, 

 where he hoped to meet with birds as yet undiscovered. He 

 describes the present state of Mindanao as " fairly quiet/' 

 and states that the American officers have been most kind 

 to him, and have helped him in every way. 



The last letters received from Mr. Michael J. Nicholl, 

 Naturalist to the Earl of Crawford's S.Y. ' Valhalla/ were 

 posted at Suva, Fijis. After touching at Punta Arenas, in the 

 Straits of Magellan, the yacht proceeded to the Pacific by 

 Smyth's Channel. The scenery was very fine there, but bird- 

 life was scarce. Mr. Nicholl obtained specimens of all the 

 birds he saw, including three species of Cormorants, Skuas, 

 Diving Petrels, a Goose, and a Rail. At Valparaiso several 

 Gulls were obtained, besides Petrels and Albatrosses. 

 Short visits were made to Easter and Pitcairn Islands. At 

 the latter island five specimens of a Zosterops were obtained. 

 About 100 bird-skins, sent home from Valparaiso, have 

 been received safely at the British Museum. 



The Ostrich-farm at Nice. — The new Ostrich-farm at Nice 

 is well worth a visit. It is about 2 miles out of the city on 

 the Cagnes road, but is easily accessible by "tram." The 

 farm is conducted on strictly mercantile principles, the object 

 being not only to breed Ostriches, but to sell "feather-goods" 

 of all sorts produced by these birds. The present stock on 

 the farm consists of about 100 birds imported from California. 

 The stock now in California, where there are several flourishing 

 Ostrich-farms (at San Diego and elsewhere), was originally 

 obtained from the Cape, so that these birds belong to the form 

 of Ostrich distinguished as Struthio cametus capensis ; but 

 there are also some birds lately received from North Africa, 

 which, when adult, will, no doubt, turn out to be examples 



