Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 299 



Mr. F. G-. Waterhouse at HowelFs Ponds, near Newcastle 

 Waters, were subsequently sent back to Adelaide ; and there 

 is, we believe, no specimen of Polyteles alexandrce in any- 

 European Collection. 



Irruption of Otis tarda. — In the ^ Field' for Feb. 28th, 

 Mr. Harting gives a record of the occurrence of no less than 

 seven specimens of the Great Bustard during the present 

 winter in various parts of the South of England. Curiously 

 enqugh, all these were of the female sex. Our cor- 

 respondent, Mr. F. E. Blaauw, also writes to us (Amster- 

 dam, Jan. 6) : — " I can again mention a capture of a rare 

 visitor worthy of note. It is this time a fine male Otis tarda, 

 which was shot near Haarlem some days ago. Great 

 Bustards, although appearing in this country during the 

 winter occasionally in small troops, are still of very rare 

 occurrence. For years together none are to be seen here." 



The Gdtke Collection. — In a former paragraph in this 

 journal (Ibis, 1890, p. 468) we mentioned the acquisition by 

 Mr, Seebohm of the Gatke Collection at Heligoland, for the 

 purpose of presentation to the British Museum. Not only, 

 we are informed, was the bargain made, but the money was 

 actually paid. Great pressure, however, having been brought 

 to bear upon Mr. Seebohm and the authorities at the British 

 Museum, they have consented to rescind the agreement, and 

 the collection will remain in Heligoland in a new " Zoological 

 Station " which it is proposed to erect there. We are of 

 opinion that this is a good arrangement, provided that steps 

 are taken to insure a proper maintenance of the collection, 

 and the immediate publication of the long-promised Cata- 

 logue with Herr Gatke's notes. 



New Ornithological Works in Preparation, — We are pleased 

 to find it announced in ' Nature ' that the long-expected 

 volume on the Birds of the Yarkand Expedition will shortly 

 appear. The birds collected by Stoliczka during this journey 

 (in 1873-74) were handed over to Mr. Hume, and are now 



