Letters, Extracts, Notices, S^-c. 403 



western branch of the Rio de la Plata, which he proposes to 

 ascend into Bolivia, in a steam-launch specially built on the 

 Clyde for this service. Capt. Page will take with him as 

 naturalist on this occasion Mr. Graham Kerr, of the Uni- 

 versity of Edinburgh, who will pay special attention to the 

 Ornis of this interesting region and, it is to be hoped, add 

 many species to the Argentine Avifauna. 



Mr. George S. Ramage, the collector engaged by the joint 

 committee of the Royal Society and British Association 

 for the exploration of the Lesser Antilles, or Caribbees, 

 as it is better to call them, has recently sent home several 

 collections of birds from Dominica and St. Lucia. He will 

 shortly return to England to recruit his health. 



Mr. and Mrs. Herbert H. Smith, who have collected so 

 successfully for Mr. Godman in various parts of Mexico 

 {v. s. p. 233), have now proceeded, by the direction of that 

 gentleuian, to St. Vincent, West Indies, where they will 

 work in connection with the Committee for the Exploration 

 of the Lesser Antilles, and doubtless reap an abundant 

 harvest. 



Return of Mr. Scott Wilson. — Mr. Scott Wilson has 

 accomplished a successful expedition to the Hawaiian Islands 

 and is now settled at Cambridge, working out the results of 

 his labours. He visited the following islands of the Ha- 

 waiian Group : — Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, 

 and Kauai. Niihau, an island lying a short distance off Kauai, 

 was the only island unvisited, and from it Mr. Wilson ob- 

 tained a small series of birds through the kindness of the 

 owner. Mr. W^ilson has carefully attended to the dis- 

 tribution of the birds throughout the group ; he finds several 

 species to be extinct. We hope to give a full account of his 

 expedition in a future number. 



Transfer of Important Cullections. — We understand that 

 the Hon. Walter Rothschild, F.Z.S., has purchased Sir 

 Walter Buller's complete series of the specimens which have 



