Letters, Announcements, i^c. 435 



meridionalis extends iu North-eastern Africa as far southward as 

 Sennaar, that species is accorded a place in the present work ; but 

 the author reasonably doubts the truth of the statement, which 

 I also regard as an error. For what is usually known to 

 European naturalists as L. dealbatus (which name, by-the-bye, 

 ought always to have given way to L. jjalleiis of Cassin), Dr. von 

 Heuglin seeks to revive a name casually given by Hemprich and 

 Ehrenberg to a bird which they supposed to be a hybrid 

 Shrike, and called L. leucopygus. Were this name worthy of 

 consideration (no description or attempt at a definition having 

 been given), it would take precedence over Col. Sykes's name of 

 L. lahtora, which Mr. Dresser and I have shown to be positively 

 identical with L. pallens ; but the name cannot be admitted. The 

 recently described L. hemileucurus, Finsch & Hartlaub, and 

 L. fallax of the same authors, are nothing more than L. lahtora 

 in the very old and young plumages ; and I have examples of 

 both positively identical with Indian specimens. 1 agree with 

 our author in questioning the occurrence, on Dr. A. E. Brehm's 

 authority, of L. smithi in North-eastern Africa. 



This closes my remarks for the present on this very interesting 

 work ; but I cannot conclude without calling special attention 

 to two points which demand particular notice. These are, first, 

 the very elaborate Latin diagnoses given to all the species ; and, 

 secondly, the very carefully executed plates. In his choice of 

 subjects, Dr. von Heuglin has made a judicious selection of rare 

 and unfigured birds ; and no one requires to be told what an 

 assistance a plate is in determining species. In his attitudes, 

 he shows himself to be well acquainted with the habits of birds, 

 while the evident care bestowed on the execution of the plates 

 cannot be too highly commended. 



XXXI. — Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



We have received the following letters addressed " To the 



Editor of 'The Ibis'^^— 



February 2ud, 1870. 



Sir, — A small collection of birds, kindly presented to my 

 museum i)y Mr. Valentine Irwin, who collected them in Tip- 



