Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^'C. 493 



and reptiles, but does not neglect birds, and will doubtless 

 eventually add much to our knowledge of the still imperfectly- 

 known avifauna of Siani. 



Mr. Gr. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton left England again in 

 April last to resume his duties as one of the Naturalists on the 

 English Commission for the investigation of the " Sealeries " 

 of the North Pacific, concerning the proceedings of which 

 during last year a Parliamentary Blue-book has lately been 

 issued. He went first to Egypt, as will be seen by the letter 

 addressed to us given on p. 484. Proceeding eastward, he 

 expected to be at Yokohama on May 30th, to join Professor 

 D'Arcy Thompson, and to arrive at the Kommandorski 

 Islands about the middle of June. Mr. Barrett-Hamilton 

 will not, we trust, forget to observe and collect birds. 



Our friends Mr. Henry J. Pearson and Colonel Feilden, 

 accompanied by Dr. Curtis, left England on June 1st to join 

 the yacht ^ Laura ^ at Bergen. This vessel, which has been 

 strengthened and fitted for Arctic service, has been chartered 

 by Mr. Pearson for an ornithological excursion to Barents 

 Sea. The programme of the party is to visit Nova Zembla 

 and the island of Waygats, and to explore the Great Tundra 

 of the Samoyeds from the Ural Mountains westward to the 

 Petshora River. The benevolent protection of the Imperial 

 Russian Government has been accorded to the Expedition, 

 at the request of our Foreign Office and on the recom- 

 mendation of the Royal Geographical Society. We have no 

 doubt that an abundant harvest will be reaped. 



In China our correspondents, Mr. F. W. Styan, Mr. J. 1). 

 de La Touche, and Mr. C. B. Rickett, continue to take every 

 opportunity of extending our knowledge of the native avi- 

 fauna. Mr. Styan sends us, through Mr. Ogilvie Grant, 

 a most interesting narrative of an expedition into the Fohkien 

 Hills undertaken by our three ornithological brethren in 

 December last, prepared for a local journal. A short paper 

 containing the principal results arrived at on this occasion 

 has been also received and will appear in our next number. 



2 m 



