Letters, Announcements, ^c. 443 



bird and in the females of the French. Females from the Alps, 

 according to Bailly (Orn. Sav. iii. p. 81) also seem to have the 

 dark band at all ages ; but the males somewhat resemble Scan- 

 dinavian examples of the same sex in their white head. The 

 Long-tailed Titmice of Germany and Holland are most like those 

 of the north of Europe, both sexes when adult having the head 

 white, as shown long since by Naumann and Pi'of. Schlegel in 

 their excellent works on the birds of those countries. I think, 

 however, that the Scandinavian females lose the dark band 

 sooner than do those of our neighbourhood ; for I have often met 

 with breeding females here which still possessed the blackish 

 colour on the sides of the head. I am &c., 



J. P. VAN WiCKEVOORT CrOMMELIN. 



Cape Town, May 2, 1870. 

 Sir, — Permit me to notice in your pages a fine addition to 

 the avifauna of South Africa, which has been lately made by my 

 friends Dr. Edward Atherstone and Messrs. F. and H. Barber 

 of Graham's Town. Those gentlemen, on a recent trip to the 

 Klein mont river-mouth procured a fine pair ( S and $ ) of that 

 handsome Bittern, Calherodius cucullatus (Licht.), Bp., Consp. 

 Av. ii. p. 139; Ardea leuconotus, Wagl. This seems a great 

 extension of range for this species ; but the " illustrious stranger'' 

 is welcome to his place among the birds of South Africa. 



I am, &c., 



E. L. Layard. 



Bremen, May 26, 1870. 

 Sir, — Will you allow me room for two remarks on the last 

 numbers of ' The Ibis ' ? 



(1) The Nectai'inia fantensis of Mr. Sharpe {supra, p. 52) was 

 fully described by me in the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie ' for 

 1861 (pp. 108, 109), under the name of TV. pJueothorax. I had 

 two specimens, both from Ashantee, and gave one to M. Jules 

 Verreaux. 



(2) The Numida tmreauxi of Mr. Elliot [supra, p. 300) was 

 introduced and described by me in the same journal for 1867 



