578 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



unsuccessful effort, to give up the expedition and to return 

 home. As the wet season was coming on, this was, probably, 

 the wisest course to be pursued. The travellers are now, 

 therefore, safe in England, and Capt. Rawling gave an 

 account of their explorations and adventures at the meeting 

 of the Royal Geographical Society held on July 3rd. 



The collection of birds made by the expedition in New 

 Guinea has reached the Natural History Museum, South 

 Kensington. It contains about 2300 skins. Besides this 

 there is a series of about 450 specimens from Ceram and of 

 about 200 from Borneo. 



Mr. Beebe's Expedition. — In the Fifteenth Report of the 

 New York Zoological Society (1910) we are informed that 

 funds have been provided by a private donor for an expedi- 

 tion to procure " living and dead specimens of the knowai 

 species of Pheasants, and to study those birds in their native 

 environment.^^ 



The expedition, under Mr. C. W. Beebe, Curator of 

 Birds in the Society's Zoological Park, left New York on 

 Dec. 29th, 1909, and began field-woi-k in Ceylon. India 

 Avas next visited, and the foot-hills of the Himalayas Avere 

 searched for specimens. From India the party went to 

 Singapore, making that city the base for excursions to 

 Borneo, Java, and Burraah. The expedition is now, we 

 believe, in Central China, and, after a visit to Japan, will 

 return to New York this summer. 



The Zoological Museum at Munich. — Under the energetic 

 influence of the Custos of the Ornithological Section of the 

 State Museum at Munich, Dr. C. E. Hellmayr, great addi- 

 tions have been lately made to the Collection of Birds, 

 especially from South America. These are described in an 

 article in the ] 0th volume of the ' Verhaudlungen ' of the 

 Ornithological Society of Bavaria. In 1909 and 1910, 

 8735 specimens of Birds were added to the series, amongst 

 which were 649 from Western Columbia, obtained by 



