262 Letters, Extj-ads, Notices, ^c. 



commonest species^ and is known locally as the ' ptarmigan/ 

 although that name would be more properly applicable to 

 the Alpine Lagopus rupest7'is." 



' Stray Feathers.' — We welcome with pleasure the arrival 

 in this country of a new part of ' Stray Feathers ' (vol. xi. 

 nos. 1 to 4), containing a lengthy and valuable paper by 

 Mr. Hume himself " On the Birds of Munipur^ Sylhet, and 

 Cachar," written in 1881, after his return from Munipur, 

 and dated Dec. 1881. We hope Mr. Hume will not keep us 

 long waiting for tl.e remainder of the " Introduction," which 

 contains a comparison of the avifauna of Sind and Munipur, 

 and promises to be of a very interesting character. 



A Pteroptochian from Costa Rica. — Mr, Ridgway writes 

 to us of the discovery in the Volcano of Poas, Costa Rica, 

 of a very remarkable new bird, which will apparently con- 

 stitute a new genus of Pteroptochidse. It comes near Xe- 

 nicus in structure, but is very different in coloration. Mr. 

 Ridgway will shortly describe it under the name Zeledonia. 



Field-Notes on the Yang-tze. — Under this head Mr. F. W. 

 Sty an has contributed to the ' Field ' a series of interesting 

 observations on the birds and other animals met with during 

 a voyage from Shanghai up the lower Yang-tze to Kiukiang 

 in February and March last year (see ' Field ' of Feb. 2nd, 

 9th, and 16th, 1889). On March 17th an excursion was 

 made from the river-bank at Tunglin to the " Chin Teh hills, 

 a fine range lying a short distance inland,'^ and quarters were 

 established in a temple " beautifully situated amongst groves 

 of bamboos and firs, at an elevation of perhaps 2000 feet 

 above the plain." The birds here met with are described as 

 follows : — • 



" Birds were well represented here. A pair of Eagles 

 frequented the highest range, and most likely had a nest 

 among the crags. Several Indian Buzzard- Hawks {Butastur 

 indicus) arrived one day, evidently on migration. A beautiful 

 little Bare-toed Scops Owl {Scops e/egans) came every night 



