Letters, Extracts, Notices, §c. 309 



and yellow, and is surprisingly distinct from every other 

 known species. It was discovered by Herr Martels on the 

 extinct Volcano Paugerango, at a height of 6000 feet above 

 the sea-level. 



Wytsman's ' Genera Avium.' — Mr. Wytsman has sent us a 

 " specimen part " of his proposed work on the f Genera of 

 Birds/ to the plan of which we called attention in our last 

 issue (see above, p. 171). It has been prepared by Mr. Ernst 

 Hartert, and contains a clear and concise synopsis of the 

 family Eurylsemidae, written in English, which is to be the 

 language of the whole work. After a short introduction and 

 bibliography, the family is divided into two subfamilies, and 

 the genera and species of each are treated in systematic order. 

 The species are shortly diagnosed and their exact localities 

 are indicated. A coloured plate drawn by Keulemans 

 illustrates the structure of the genera and portrays Seri- 

 lophus lunatus rothschildi of Perak. 



Lieut. Boyd Alexander's Expedition to Upper Nigeria. — 

 Our much- valued friend and correspondent Lieut. Boyd 

 Alexander, of the Rifle Brigade, left England by the West- 

 African Mail-Steamer on Feb. 27th last, at the head of a 

 new scientific expedition for the exploration of the eastern 

 parts of Northern Nigeria and the countries bordering on 

 Lake Chad. He is accompanied by his brother Lt.-Col. 

 Alexander of the Scots Guards (as surveyor) and Capt. G. 

 B. Gosling of the Rifle Brigade. On reaching the mouth of 

 the Niger the party will be joined by Jose Lopez, the 

 Portuguese taxidermist, who went with Lieut. Alexander to 

 Fernando Po; Braima Dumbana (a Hausa from Kuka), who 

 will act as guide ; and Hadji Abu Bukar, an Arab interpreter. 

 Thence they will proceed by steamer up the Niger to Lokoja 

 and follow the Benue as far as the mouth of its northern 

 tributary, the Gongola, in about 12° E. long. The River 

 Gongola will be ascended in two light steel boats, which have 

 been taken out with the party in sections, to a place called 

 Tonga, in about 11° N. lat. Here the headquarters of the 



SER. VIII. — VOL. iv. z 



