Menage Expedition to the Philippines 169 



packed, which was exasperating-. We arrived here Thursday 

 noon, and leave tomorrow (Monday) morning, having had bare- 

 ly time to do the necessary work here. 



We are in the best of health, and hope to rush business in 

 Masbato and Ticao. Shall be back here in five or six weeks and 

 I will then report again. 



We very heartily appreciate Mr. Menage's generosity in al- 

 lowing us the extension of time, and hope that both he and 

 the Academy may be satisfied with the results of it. 



With many thanks for your kind expressions and good wishes, 

 Very truly yours, 



Dean C. Worcester. 



XI. 



Manila, December 8, 1892. 

 Since my last letter to you I have spent five weeks in the island 

 of Masbate. The month of November is usually the worst in 

 the year here, and this year has been no exception to the general 

 rule. We had one typhoon, rain often fell uninterruptedly for 

 days at a time, the fields were flooded and the paths nearly im- 

 passable from mud. 



However, we raised the number of species of birds known to 

 inhabit the island from 32 to 102, and made some valuable finds, 

 the best of which is a fine species of Cittocincla entirely new to 

 science.* The discovery of this bird was a great surprise, as I 

 did not in the least look for a representative of the genus in the 

 island. Many of our specimens are both interesting and valuable, 

 and we are now in position to put Masbate in its proper place 

 among the other islands. 



I hoped to visit Ticao, but was unable to do so, as the sea 

 remained so rough as to make it impossible to get across. Ticao 

 is a small, heavily wooded island close to Masbate, and probably 

 has the same fauna, but it would have been interesting to make 

 sure.. 



We made a hard attempt to get specimens of the spotted deer 

 of Masbate, riding clear across the island to reach the place 

 where they are found, but when we arrived at our destination we 

 found the grass where they feed and hide to be higher than our 

 heads, and, though we hunted in the pouring rain for four days, 

 obtained but one young specimen. 



♦Cittocincla superclliaris B, & W. 



