670 Letters, Extracts, and Notices. 



the Ringed Plover {M. hiaticola). It was shot at Peterhead 

 in 1867 by Mr. Andrew Murray. The first occurrence of 

 this American species in Great Britain (near Christchurch 

 in Hampshire) was recorded in this Journal in 1862 (p. 275). 

 Another specimen was obtained in 1885 at Tresco, Scilly 

 Islands (see Zool. 1885, p. 113); the example from Peter- 

 head is therefore the third known to have been obtained in 

 this country. 



News from the Canaries. — Hcrr Rudolf v. Tanner, who is 

 resident at Vitaflor in Tenerife, writes that he has lately 

 made an excursion to Fucrteventura and obtained a good 

 series of Pratincola dacotice (see Meade- Waldo, ' Ibis/ 1889, 

 p. 505, pi. xi.), which he has sent to the Tring Museum. 

 In the series, he says, this bird's throat varies from white to 

 darkish black. On the coast of Tenerife, Herr v. Tanner has 

 recently procured specimens of the Courser (Cursorius 

 gallicus), which, however, had already been recorded by 

 Mr. Meade-Waldo {' Ibis/ 1893, p. 205) as occasionally met 

 with in Gran Canaria and as abundant in Fuerteventura, 

 and has ascertained that Erythrospiza yithaginea breeds in 

 Tenerife. An interesting account of his observations in the 

 pine-woods of Tenerife has been lately published in the 

 ' Ornithologisches Jahrbuch' (xiv. p. 211, 1903). 



The Birds of the Scotch Antarctic Expedition. — We have 

 much pleasure in being able to state that the collection 

 of birds (consisting of from 500 to 600 skins and about 

 1000 eggs, besides specimens in spirit and numerous 

 skeletons) made by the Scotch Antarctic Expedition, of the 

 value of which we spoke in our last issue (above, p. 482), has 

 arrived in Edinburgh, and will be worked out by Mr. W. Eagle 

 Clarke. Mr. Alastair Ross, who accompanied the expedition, 

 will be associated with Mr. Clarke, and will supply full 

 notes on the nesting and other habits of the species, which 

 will contain particulars of great interest. 



