Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 491 



present year ; but althougli some of tliem have undoubtedly 

 bred, we fear that our climate and soil will prove — not too 

 cold, for these birds can stand severe dry cold — but too wet for 

 them to establish a permanent footing. On this point we 

 give an extract of a letter, dated August 13th, from an 

 excellent observer, Mr. R. Service, of Dumfries : — " Sand 

 Grouse still continue on the estate where they first appeared. 

 There were more than sixty of them at one time, but they 

 gradually dispersed, and there is now only a small flock of 

 nine left. I was over the ground yesterday with one of the 

 keepers. Only seven were shot, and these within the first 

 few days after arrival. The utmost protection has been ex- 

 tended since, and although the ground Avas as suitable as 

 possible in this country, none bred — two pairs were observed 

 to separate as if for breeding-purposes, but they also dis- 

 appeared. So that if plenty of keepers (who were all much 

 interested in them), most suitable ground, plenty of feeding- 

 gromid, the utmost rest and quiet, did not induce them to 

 breed, the birds themselves were to blame^ or possibly the 

 cold wet summer we have had.^' 



LIV. — Letters, Extracts, Notices, <SfC. 



We have received the following letters addressed to the 

 Editors of 'The Ibis:'— 



British Consulate, Noumea, 

 May 27th, 1888. 



Sirs, — It is long since I had the pleasure of sending you 

 any ornithological news from this far-away land, but I am 

 now in a position to add a bird to our native fauna, and 

 hasten to record it. This morning I received from Mr. Cecil 

 Vivian, of H.M.S. * Diamond,' now in our harbour, a speci- 

 men of a Cormorant, the first that has reached my hands, 

 though our friend M. Grasset has described birds from the 

 northern end of the island which, no doubt, were of this 

 genus {cf. Ibis, 1882, p. 542). We were much surprised on 

 examining: it to find that it was the Little Black Cormo- 



