346 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, &^c. 



well if he has closely examined some half-dozen specimens, pre- 

 senting the different appearances depending upon age, sex, or 

 the like, of one species. He will now find, from an inspection 

 of Professor Baird^s labours, that an acquaintance with a much 

 larger number of individuals, especially from different localities, 

 is requisite if he intends to advance his science. One result of 

 this attention to increased material, if generally followed, we 

 suspect will be the very desirable one of nullifying the species- 

 makers — species-makers, of course we mean, in a bad sense, for 

 there are no more useful men, if they will but keep their hobbies 

 under command. 



To criticize this work as it should be done, we frankly avow, 

 is quite beyond our power now. We trust, either as it proceeds 

 (and it has now attained a goodly bulk) or when it is concluded, 

 to induce some of our contributors, whose personal acquaint- 

 ance with Neogean forms is perhaps only inferior to Professor 

 Baird's, to offer our readers such a commentary upon it as will 

 be worthy of their attention. We will now only stay to re- 

 mark that the author, with the aid of Dr. W. Stimpson, has been 

 subjecting the tongues of several species of different families, 

 and especially of Ccerebida, Mniotiltidce, and Vireonidce, to a mi- 

 croscopical examination, the chief result of which is that Den- 

 drceca tigrina is now removed into a genus by itself, under the 

 name Perissoglossa, its lingual structure being so funda- 

 mentally different from that of other members of the family 

 as almost to warrant its entire removal from the Mniotiltidce. 

 Professor Baird introduces (p. 163) woodcut representations of 

 this organ in birds belonging to nine different genera, and a 

 comparison of the diagrams shows there is no lapsus lingua 

 in speaking of Perissoglossa tigrina as having the tongue par 

 excellence among its allies. 



XXXI. — Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 



The following letters have been received, addressed "To the 

 Editor of the ' Ibis ' : — 



Takow, Formosa, 27 Feb., 1863. 

 Sir, — .... Ducks and Teal were abundant in our lagoon 

 throughout December and January, and the market was well 



