571 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



to the Cape Verde Islands, the Zambesi and Kafue Rivers, 

 the Gold Coast Colony, and the Island of Fernando Po, 

 as well as that made during his memorable journey in 

 190i-07 from the Niger to the Nile. It likewise contains 

 the whole of the birds obtained during his last expedition to 

 the islands of San Thome, Principe, and Annobon in the 

 Gulf of Guinea; on the Peak of Cameroon and mountains 

 to the north of it, and in Wadai, up to the time of iiis death. 

 It would be difficult to over-estimate the value of the 

 Alexander Collection to the Natural History Museum, for 

 it supplies beautifully prepared and complete series of the 

 Avifauna of islands and countries hitherto very imperfectly 

 represented in the National Collection of Birds. The bequest 

 comprises nearly four thousand bird-skins, and includes the 

 type-specimens of no fewer than eighty-four species described 

 for the first time by the late Mr. Alexander in his papers 

 published in 'The Il)is' and elsewhere. Many of these 

 new species were previously not represented in the National 

 Collection. 



I am, Sirs, 



Yours &c., 



W. R. Ogilvie-Grant. 



British Museum (^Natural History), 

 May 27th, 19] 1. 



Sirs, — I have the pleasure of informing the readers of 

 *■ The Ibis ' that, a few days ago, the Zoological Society 

 of Munich received, in a small collection of birds from 

 Katanga, Congo State, a fine example of Balaniceps rex. 

 The bird, a perfectly adult male in ashy plumage, was shot, 

 in July 1909, in the papyrus-swamps of Lake Kisale, on the 

 Upper Lualaba (Congo), by Captain Michell and kindly 

 presented by him to this Museum. I believe it is the first 

 authentic record of this sjiecies from the Congo State, 

 although its occurrence in that district was to be expected 

 (see Sir Harry Johnston's note in 'Ibis,' 1902, p. 335), and 

 extends its known range considerably to the south. Accord- 

 ing to Captain Michel!, the Whale-headed Stork, named 



