493 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



has been engaged for some years in the investigation of the 

 strange zoology of that group. We earnestly hope that he 

 may have further contributions to ofter us on the history 

 and habits of the Hawaiian birds. His recent collections from 

 the islands of Kauai, Hawaii, Oahu, and Maui number about 

 230 skins, of which the first set, according to the arrange- 

 ment made by the joint Committee of the Royal Society and 

 British Association, will go to the British Museum and tlie 

 second to Cambridge. 



At the date of his last letter (Jan. 24th, 1897), Mr. J. 

 Graham Kerr was still at *' Waikthlatingmayalma,^^ in the 

 Chaco Boreal of Paraguay, and, although successful in his 

 pursuit oi Lepidosii^en pa)'adooPa,wsiS unhappy at the poverty of 

 mammals and birds. Of the latter he had met with examples 

 of about 100 species, of the former of only two or three ! 

 There had been rain, heavy and continuous, for three weeks, 

 and the surrounding country was nearly all under water. 



Mr. Charles W. Andrews, of the Geological Department 

 of the Natural Histoiy Museum, has received leave of absence 

 from his duties in order to undertake, on behalf of Dr. John 

 Murray, F.R.S., a com])lete investigation of the Fauna and 

 Flora of Christmas Island, which lies in the Indian Ocean in 

 about 11° S. lat., off Java. Mr. Andrews has left England 

 for Batavia, whence a vessel will be provided to take the 

 exploring party to its destination. 



Two good collectors are hard at work in British East 

 Africa, and will, no doubt, do much to work up the details of 

 its rich and varied fauna. Mr. F. J. Jackson, who has already 

 made such splendid collections of birds in East Africa, 

 is now Resident at Ravine Station, at the edge of the Mau 

 plateau. Dr. Hinde, who is stationed at Machako's, about 

 300 miles from the coast, has already sent several collections 

 of birds to the British Museum. 



Mr. Stanley Flower (Lieut. 5th Fusiliers), who has lately 

 taken up an appointment as Curator of the Royal Museum 

 at Bangkok, has been making a collecting-expedition up the 

 rivers to the east of Bangkok, and sends home most lively 

 accounts of his adventures among the natives and wild 

 animals. Mr. Flower pays special attention to mammals 



