Letters, Extracts, Notices, S^c. 295 



an announcement that the German Zoological Society has 

 in contemplation a very important work, which will be 

 entitled ' Das Tierreich, Eine Zusammenstellung nnd Kenn- 

 zeichnung der rezenten Tierformen/' The aim of this 

 publication is_, if we understand rightly, to give, on an 

 uniform plan, descriptions of all the known species of the 

 animal kingdom, together with their distribution and most 

 important synonymy. 



Prof. V. E. Schultze, of Berlin, is the general editor of 

 this work, and will be assisted by specialists in the diiferent 

 branches of zoology. Dr. Anton Reichenow has undertaken 

 the section of Birds, in which he has already secured the 

 assistance of Mr. E. Hartert, of Tring, Graf von Berlepsch, 

 Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, and Mr. Ogilvie Grant. Some of the 

 parts relating to the Birds are stated to be already in pre- 

 paration. 



Movements of Naturalists. — Mr. W. L. Sclater left Eng- 

 land on Feb. 29th to take up his appointment as Curator of 

 the South African Museum, Capetown. Mr. Sclater will 

 devote his attention, for the present, principally to the 

 Mammals of South Africa, a good Handbook of the Birds 

 (by Sharpe and Layard) being already in existence, but will 

 not neglect to register any additions to the ornithology of 

 Cape-land. From Nyasaland we learn that Mr. Moore has 

 lately passed through on his way to Lake Tanganyika, 

 whither he proceeds under the auspices of the Royal Society 

 to investigate the fauna of the Lake. Mr. Alexander 

 Whyte is at his headquarters at Zomba, and has just 

 forwarded some more collections, which are shortly expected 

 to arrive in England. Sir Henry Johnston, after his 

 victorious campaign against Mlosi, will come to England 

 for a short visit, upon considerations of health. Mr. John 

 S. Gardiner has just left England as naturalist to Prof. 

 Sollas's expedition for the investigation of the Pacific coral- 

 reefs, and will, no doubt, improve our knowledge of the 

 scanty fauna of the EUice Islands. Mr. Arnold Pike has 

 deserted Spitsbergen for the present, and has started for 



