Letters, Announcements, ^c. 495 



Balearica, has its origin in a singular error, and that the 

 proper name of this Crane is Balearica chrysopelargus. 

 Cranes, as is well known, are apt subjects for semidomesti- 

 cation. All the sixteen species recognized by Mr. Teget- 

 meier may be seen represented in the Zoological Gardens of 

 London and the continent, except the newly discovered Ch^us 

 nigricollis. Of this fine bird, met with by the great traveller 

 Prejevalsky on the banks of the Koko-nor, a welcome figure 

 is given, copied from the Russian original. 



- XXXIX. — Letters, Announcements, S^c. 

 We have received the following letters addressed to the 

 Editors of ' The Ibis :'— 



Nortlirepps, April 20th, 1881. 



Sirs, — I shall be glad if you can find a corner in ' The 

 Ibis ' to record the occurrence on the coast of Holland of a 

 magnificent Red-breasted Goose, Bernicla ruficollis, on the 

 18th of February. It was shot, when in company with a lot 

 of Bernicle Geese, by Messrs. W. B. Monement and George 

 Cresswell. The gunners shot at them in the evening from their 

 '^^punts.^^ They got the Geese between themselves and the 

 daylight; 'Hjut when within shot/' writes Mr. Monement 

 in answer to my inquiries for particulars, '' we found them 

 in a long line and thin, so let them swim on in order to 

 rake them; but they would not have it, and rose. We 

 stopped twenty -five Bernicle ; got twenty-three, and the Red- 

 breasted Goose.'' 



The Red-bi^asted Goose, together with one or two Ber- 

 nicles and Gadwalls, was sent over to a bird-stuft'er in Norfolk 

 (Dack, of Holt), who has set this great rarity up very nicely, 

 considering it was very ^^high" when he received it. The 

 triangle on the cheek is slightly mixed with white ; with that 

 exception, it is in the most perfect plumage. 



Yours, &c., 



J. H. GUBNEY, Juu. 



