498 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



are pretty large considering the want of means and the many 

 difficulties encountered in getting them together. Of course 

 the most favoured part has been our own favourite science of 

 ornithology ; and although most of the localities at which the 

 ' Magenta ' touched have been pretty well scoured, yet I have 

 succeeded in scraping together some rarities and a few novelties. 

 Dr. Salvadori and I have been working at them since the be- 

 ginning of June. The worst part is the synonymy, which we are 

 doing our best to make exact and to give in full, being aware of its 

 importance after the labours of so many species-manufacturing 

 ornithologists. On the whole I believe we have got together as 

 many species as. Mr. von Pelzeln gives from the expedition of 

 the ' Novara,' if not more. On the death of poor De Filippi at 

 Hongkong, 1 took his place as head of the scientific mission, and 

 kept all the collections on board with me, thus saving the enor- 

 mous expense of sending them to Europe by mail-steamers. 



At Java I got some good species, and in Australia also. 

 Amongst the last I secured was a specimen of Nasiterna pusio, 

 Sclat. (P. Z. S. 1865, p. 620), which Mr. Krefft kindly gave me. 

 It now forms one of the gems of the Turin Ornithological Gallery. 

 At Santiago de Chile, Messrs. Philippi and Landbeck presented 

 me with a nearly complete series of Chilian birds, a most cha- 

 racteristic and interesting group. The ^Magenta^ was above a 

 month in the channels which extend along the west coast of 

 Patagonia from Cape Tres Montes to the Straits of Magellan, 

 and I was able to form a choice collection. The most remark- 

 able features of that avifauna are the beautiful Chloephagce and 

 the strange Micropterus cinereus. On our voyage from Monte- 

 video to Gibralta we were becalmed near Trinidad Island, and 

 i there collected some very interesting Procellaria'^'. 



The Italian Government intends to publish the voyage of the 

 ' Magenta ;' and I have been charged, conjointly with our Cap- 

 tain, with the task of writing it. I mean, of course, the descriptive 

 part ; the scientific part (mostly zoological) can only be done 

 in monographs, and will be the work of difi'erent naturalists. I 



* [Dr. Giglioli has since forwarded us descriptions (drawn up by Dr. 

 Salvadori and himself) of several new species of this family, which we 

 hope to publish in our next number. — Ed.] 



