Letters, Extracts, Notices, &;c. 345 



met with at tlie numerous light-stations on the Danish coasts 

 and islands, of which a clearly drawn chart is appended. 

 In 1890 examples of 68 species were observed. Full details 

 are given of all these occurrences, and the whole subject is 

 completely elaborated. 



65. Zaroudno'i on the Birds of Trans-Caspia. 



[Recherclies Zoologiques dans la Contree Trans-Caspienne. Par N. Za- 

 roudnoi. Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou, 1889-90.] 



After a lengthened description of his journeyings during 

 his third expedition into Trans-Caspia, M. Zaroudno'i gives 

 a systematic list with notes of the Vertebrates met with and 

 collected. The birds were of 309 species. We observe that 

 the Pheasants mentioned are Ph. persicus and Ph. principalis, 

 of which the areas are now succinctlv described. 



XXVIII. — Letters, Extracts, Notices, and Obituary. 



The following letters, addressed to the Editor, have been 

 received since our last issue : — 



Sir, — In my recent paper on Ptilopus (Ibis, 1891, 

 pp. 566-584) there is a statement which I beg leave to 

 correct. At p. 577, a distinguishing point of the adult 

 P.fasciatus, Peale, is said to be-'' a deep magenta patch in 

 middle o/ abdomen." This is, I think, a wrong inference of 

 mine from the statements of various writers. After 

 examining the series of this Pigeon in the museums at 

 Hamburg and South Kensington, I find that there never 

 exists a patch distinct from the broad line of blackish 

 mentioned by me as a second characteristic, but that this 

 line spreads out in some specimens so as to form a patch 

 while in others it remains a slight short bar. The rich 

 magenta colour which it assumes, darker than that of the 

 crown, is, I believe, a mark of maturity. 



Yours &c., 



Loudon, L. W. VVlGLESWORTH. 



December loth, 1891. 



