628 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



a catapult, succeeded only too well, tried to skin it (for he 

 was aware of its value), failed, and threw the mangled remains 

 away. 



The Melodious Warbler has a western range, and com- 

 pletely takes the place of the Icterine in Spain and Portugal, 

 as well as in France to the west of Savoy and the Rhone 

 valley, up to about the mouth of the Seine. Eastward the 

 Icterine predominates, even when not the sole representative, 

 and Tunisia seems to be the meeting-place of both species. 

 The Melodious Warbler is not only smaller, but has a pro- 

 portionately shorter wing, with an absolutely larger bastard- 

 primary, while the second quill is shorter than the fifth, 

 whereas the reverse is the case with H. icterina. — H. S. 



The Production of "Aigrettes.'' — The demand for ladies' 

 '^ aigrettes " seems to have instigated attempts to keep Egrets 

 in captivity for the purpose of producing these much-coveted 

 feathers. In a recent number of the 'Bulletin of the 

 Societe Nationale d'Acclimatation de France ' (1896, p. 302), 

 M. Olivier gives an account of a visit paid to an establishment 

 near Tunis, where a number of Egrets [Ardea garzetta) 

 were kept in captivity in a large enclosed aviary furnished with 

 trees and water. They nest there, rearing two broods, in April 

 and June, and are fed very cheaply on horseflesh, the young 

 birds at first requiring small fishes, with which the mother 

 feeds them. The precious side-plumes, so valued for ladies' 

 hats, are shorn twice a year, in May and September, the best 

 plumes being those of May. Each bird supplies about seven 

 grammes in the year, which realize about 35 francs. This 

 sum, after deducting expenses, gives a net gain of 22 francs 

 per bird. 



New Expedition to the Galapagos. — We learn from ' Science' 

 that an expedition under the charge of Mr. C. M. Harris, of 

 Augusta, Maine, has sailed from San Francisco for the Gala- 

 pagos Islands, with a view to studying their fauna and flora. 

 It is stated that the expenses are defrayed by the Hon. 

 Walter Rothschild. 



