Letters, Extracts, Notices, S^-c. 287 



copterus ignipalliatus) , all huddled together^ made of mud, 

 18 inches high, and rounded like a pillar, with a basin at the 

 summit. There were 500 Flamingoes flying or wading about. 

 All the other mudbanks and a few islands were crowded 

 with nests of Larus maculipennis and their young in hopeless 

 confusion. Further on we found the grassy islands occupied 

 by L. cirrhocephalus and an occasional Shoveler and Pintail 

 Duck, and the furthest island was crowded by innumerable 

 Terns, screaming and fluttering over their nests, which are 

 placed close to each other. Judging by the many addled 

 and scattered eggs, they must disturb each other enormously. 

 It was curious to note how all the species of Gulls and 

 Terns, although nesting together, keep each to their corner, 

 and do not allow the others to trespass on their breeding- 

 spot. 



Yours &c., 



A. H. Holland. 



Estancia Sta. Elena, Halsey, 



F.C.O., Buenos Ayres, 



January 27tli, 1897. 



Sirs, — You will know the name of a countryman of 

 mine, Mr. B. Schraacker, from several papers written by 

 Mr. Styan in ' The Ibis.'' Now, this gentleman has recently 

 died in Japan, and has left his splendid collection of Chinese 

 birds to the Bremen Museum. Of about 760 specimens 

 nearly 300 are the originals of Mr. Styan's descriptions, as^ 

 for instance, the rare and unique Arboricola ardens. 



The remainder, more than 400 specimens, have been 

 confided to my care and study, to be named and catalogued. 

 Perhaps this information may be acceptable to the readers of 

 ' The Ibis.' 



Yours, &c., 



G. Hartlaub. 



Bremen, 

 March 3rd, 1897. 



Neiv Experiments on Protective Coloration. — At the 

 meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, held at 



