156 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 



draw attention to the fact that the original painting M'as an 

 exact representation of the speeies in question ; much trouble 

 was taken to get the colour identical with that of the living 

 bird, and the completed plate was correct in the smallest 

 detail. The reproduction of this plate in 'The Ibis Ms so 

 much darker than in the original painting, that it might 

 almost 2^ortray a different species. This is especially appa- 

 rent in the figuring of the male, for it takes away two of the 

 characters of this subspecies which I wished to bring out, 

 e. y., the ashy olive-grey back, and the pronounced narrow 

 black frontal band. 



Another point of some importance which has been over- 

 looked is the narrow white upper and lower eyelid, consti- 

 tuting an almost complete ophthalmic ring. 



I am, Sir, 



Yours &c.. 

 The Oiolianl, Kings Lauoley, DaVID A. BaNNERMAN. 



October 23rd, 1912. 



The Report of the British Museum for 1911. — In obedience 

 to an Order of the House of Commons, dated February 

 22nd, 1912, the usual annual report on the British 

 JMuseum and its work in the year 1911 was issued last year, 

 but not quite in time to allow it to be noticed in our 

 October number. The report is full of interest, as is 

 always the case, to workers in science of every department, 

 but there is still room for some advantageous alterations. 

 For instance, a list of the scientific staff and the functions 

 wliich they fill Avould be of much interest, as would also be 

 a list of the trustees of this important institution. 



The following works in connection with the collection of 

 birds have been executed during the year 1911 : — 



The remounting of the series of birds in the general 

 gallery has been continued, and the old and faded specimens 

 of the Families Dendrocolaptidte, Cotingidte, and Pipridae 

 have been replaced by finely mounted examples. 



The rearrangement and relabelling of the Gould collection 

 of Humming-Birds has been continued. 



