Letters, Extracts, Notices, Sfc. 293 



nication to the ' Zoologischer Anzeiger ' in 1889, which was re- 

 published in this journal {cf. lbis_, 1889, p. 196). "We have 

 now a more complete account, and may hope to have the 

 author^s matured judgment upon the systematic position of 

 the Cypselidse on a future occasion. 



XXVIII. — Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



The following letters have been received, addressed to the 

 Editor of ^ The Ibis ^— 



Royal Zoological Museum, Dresden, 

 Dec. 3rd, 1890. 



Sir,— In 'The Ibis' (1890, p. 413) I have mentioned a 

 young specimen of Merops from the north coast of New 

 Britain, which I referred to Merops philippinus, though I 

 remarked that its dimensions are smaller, and especially that 

 the bill is very short. Count Salvadori, in a recent letter to 

 me, expressed the opinion that my identification ought to be 

 reconsidered, as it appeared to him impossible that M. phi- 

 lijjpinus could have so wide a range as to extend to New 

 Britain, though Mr. Ramsay, of Sydney, had written to him 

 that he also had got a specimen of this Bee-eater from New 

 Britain. I have therefore been thoroughly over the matter 

 again, and have convinced myself that the supposition of the 

 learned and keen connoisseur of the Papuan Ornis is well 

 founded. The specimen cannot be considered as belonging to 

 M. philippinus. 



In comparison with the young specimen of the latter 

 species from Macassar, mentioned /. c, the whole plumage of 

 the specimen from New Britain is less blue-green, and of a 

 lighter, yellowish green ; the front yellowish, and the green 

 of the underparts appears to be washed with the brown of 

 the throat. The tail-coverts are lighter blue and the rec- 

 trices have an olive-green shade ; the base of the primaries 

 and secondaries is brown, and the ciunamomeous colour on 

 the underside of the first primary is more extended. But 

 the best differential character is, perhaps, the want of the 



