Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 379 



which grows in the swamps along the water-side in a thick 

 dense mass^ and into which it; is most tedious and difficult 

 to penetrate. The nests overhang the water, so that from 

 the land it is out of the question to get at them. From the 

 water^ again, it is a most tedious process. One has to wade, 

 often up to the thighs, through thick mud, at low tide, and 

 to cut a way into the prickly growth ; and then, by pulling 

 down the branch bearing the nest (for it is out of the question 

 to climb), there is a chance of getting the eggs. Often, 

 however, in the process the eggs jerk out ; for the nest is 

 perfectly shallow and open, consisting only of a few sticks 

 loosely drawn together. At high tide it is even more tedious, 

 for the boat has to go where a man otherwise might have 

 gone at low tide, and this necessitates cutting a large channel. 

 " However, I am going to try my best to send you a satis- 

 factory collection. ^^ 



The new Irruption of Syrrhaptes paradoxus. — The great 

 ornithological event of the present summer is the new irrup- 

 tion of Syrrhaptes paradoxus into Western Europe, which 

 seems likely to attain the development of that of 1863. We 

 have given above seven letters received on the subject; and 

 others have been published by Dr. Meyer in ' Nature " 

 (May 17th and 24th), 'The Times' (May 23rd), and else- 

 where. In this country specimens have been obtained inNotts, 

 Hertfordshire, and many other localities. Prof. Newton, the 

 historian of the irruption of 1863 (cf. Ibis, 1864, pp. 186- 

 222), has kindly undertaken to prepare an account of the 

 present visitation, and will be glad to receive information on 

 the subject, especially cuttings from local newspapers, with 

 date and source specified. 



News of Bird-collectors in Forei(/n Parts. — Mr. W. R. 

 Davison, M.B.O.U., writes to us that he is now nearly 

 settled in his ncAv post at the Raffles Museum, Singapore, 

 and is getting things into order. He hopes shortly to be 

 able to make a trip into the native State of Pahang, in the 



