Letters, Announcements, &;c. 133 



convinced of the propriety of regarding this as distinct from 

 T. erythropygius of the Nicobars. 



75. Carpophaga sylvatica. In this instance there is a strongly 

 marked difference between the Nicobar race which 1 have 

 named C. insularis and that occurring in the Andamans, which 

 is undistinguishable from the ordinary " Imperial Pigeon " of 

 India and Burma. 



77. Chalcophaps indicus. Here the same fact occurs. I 

 could perceive no difference between Andaman specimens and 

 those from India and Burma, whereas the Nicobar race accords 

 with the description of C. avgusta, Bp. (Comptes Rendus, 1855). 



80. jEgialitis pyrrhothurax should doubtless stand as ^. 

 mongolicus {Cf. Ibis, 1867, p. 164). 



86. Herodias andamanensis is decidedly identical with H. 

 concolor, of which I never saw a white example. It also in- 

 habits the Nicobars and Arakan. 



I am, &c., 



E. Blyth. 



Sir, — I can hardly allow my friend Mr. Swinhoe's new 

 Avocet (Ibis, 1867, p. 401) to pass without question. One of 

 my specimens, shot in winter, before attaining the breeding- 

 plumage, has the lower neck and tail grey instead of white. 

 The upward curve of the bill varies very much in four specimens in 

 my possession. I am reluctant to believe that his Recurvirostra 

 sinensis is anything more than the common species, B. avocetta, 

 before assuming the breeding-plumage. 



Yours, &c., 



H. B. Tristram. 



The fact that the rose coloured patches on some of the wing- 

 feathers of at least one species of Touracoo could be removed by 

 the application of water has long been known, if we are not mis- 

 taken, to ornithologists ; but we are not aware that the nature 

 of the colouring-matter had ever been determined. At a Meet- 

 ing of the Chemical Society of London, on the 5th December 

 1807, Prof. Church brought forward the results of his investiga- 

 tions respecting this peculiarity in Turacus albovittatus. lie 



