Correspondence, Notes, etc.



119



I picked up in the garden yestei'day a Bee-eater in a very emaciated

condition ... it was alive and did not attempt to move, but died during

the night. I have made a very rough outline of it and named the colours.

The measurements are correct—natural size. Can you identify it !


Walter G. Percivae.


We are indebted to Captain Shelley, author of “ The Birds of Africa,”

for the follozving reply:


The bird is Dicrocercus furcatus (Cat. B.M. XVII. p. 42). Here Sharpe

recognises two species. Reichenow (Vog. Afr., II., p. 315) separates the West

African form as D. chrysolaimus (Jard. & Selby).


I have to invent English names for nearly all the African species. A

good generic name for the three species is “Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters”;

and for the specific name I would suggest the pi-efix of Nile, Senegal, and

Natal, thus :


D. furcatus — Nile Swallow-tailed Bee-eater.


D. chrysolaimus — Senegal Swallow-tailed Bee-eater.


D. hirundineus = Natal Swallow-tailed Bee-eater.


The two northern forms are distinguished from D. hirundineus by the

blue forehead, but to indicate this character would make the English

name too long. G. E. Sheeeey.


THE INFLUENCE OF DIET ON THE AVIAN DEATH-RATE.


I11 the last number of this Magazine we stated that this discussion

must close, and we do not intend to reopen it; as, however, our note at the

foot of Dr. CreswelPs letter may have been rather misleading, we publish

the following extract from a letter received from that gentleman :


The point I emphasize is not so much that “ yolk of egg is infected by septic bacilli

more readily than most substances,” (although this is probably true), as that when infected,

and when at the same time exposed to the high temperature of a bird’s organism, it renders the

descendants of the original infecting bacilli more active in throwing out their special toxins

and therefore more virulent and deadly than those which are commonly met with apart frojn the

influence of egg food.


Dr. Creswell also asks us to correct a printer’s error in his last letter

(P. 80, line 30): instead of “ Seeing that neither of my pathologist friends,”

read “ Seeing that neither any of my pathologist friends,” &c.



THE COUNCIL OF THE SOCIETY.


Sir, —Last month I desired to thank those members who were good

enough to elect me to the Council, and to make known to them that owing

to circumstances beyond my control I felt obliged with considerable regret

to resign. I find that it was not possible for you to publish the letter I

wrote to that effect, and so take this opportunity of conveying my thanks

and apologies to those who voted for me.



W. Geo. Cresweee.



