288 Information respecting Scientific Travellers. 



the greater portion of it may be too much frequented for so 

 shy a bird as this is reported to be*, still it may be a plea- 

 sing task for some of the resident members of the Natural 

 History Society of Dublin to ascertain v.hether, in any of the 

 most I'etired glades or other portions of this spacious park 

 which would afford freedom from molestation, such a remark- 

 able and attractive species may not " increase and multiply." 

 By the late T. F. Neligan, Esq., of Tralee, I Avas informed 

 that a grosbeak was shot near Milltown, in the county of 

 Kerry, at the latter end of October 1830 (?). 



XXXVII. — Information respecting Scientific Travellers. 



DR. cantor's visit TO CHUSAN. 



To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 

 Gentlemen, 

 By the last Indian mail I received a letter from my friend Dr. Can- 

 tor, a part of Avhich relating to the natural history of Chusan seems 

 to me so highly interesting, that 1 take the liberty of making the 

 following extract for your pages. 



" Immediately on my return from Chusan I sent you a roughly 

 diawn up catalogue of my coUectionsf. Owing to my severe ill- 

 ness there and tedious recovery, I have been obliged to ■work much 

 slower than I used to do. You know that I was sent to China with- 

 out being allowed time to procure one single article necessary for 

 collecting, yet I succeeded in getting something, and that truly in- 

 teresting. Up to this moment I have finished descriptions in sections 

 of a few new forms of Animalcula ; the rest are identical with 

 European and Indian. Of terrestrial and freshwater Mollusca, from 

 twenty to twenty-five new forms, and interesting as links, were pro- 

 cured : Benson has undertaken to describe them. The Reptilia are 

 new, and of tropical forms totally distinct from the Japanese. The 

 Batrachia are European, Rana esculenta and R. temporaria, Hyla arbo- 

 rea. The Fishes, with which I am now occupied, are new, and mostly 

 tropical forms. The Insects I have sent to London. Of Mammalia and 

 Birds I have very few, as alread}?^ mentioned in the catalogue. With 

 the Plants Griffith is at present engaged. The zoology of Chusan 

 (30° N. L.) is, notwithstanding the vicissitudes of the climate, deci- 

 dedly tropical or Indian. The flora appears to be Himalayan with 

 European forms. Theo. Cantor." 



Calcutta, Sept. 26, 1841. 



It is gratifying to learn that such prompt measures have been taken 

 by Dr. Cantor for making known the results of his collections in 

 Chusan, though from the briefness of his stay, and bad health when 

 there, these must necessarily be but limited. — Wm. Thompson. 



Donegal Square, Belfast, Nov. 15, 1841. 



* See an excellent account of the species by Mr. Doubleday in vol. i. of 

 the Mag. Zool. and Bot. 



t This I am sorrv to say has not been received. 



