170 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 
Additions to the American Museum of Natural History. — 
The report of the American Museum of Natural History 
for 1899 informs us that the " Department of Vertebrate 
Zoology ^^ has received 1108 mammals, 3139 birds, about 
1200 reptiles, and 23 fishes. About one hundred birds 
have been added to the Exhibition Collection, and also 
several new bird-groups, including the '^ Large Brown- 
Pelican ^' group. The ''Local Collection of Birds/Mvhich 
includes examples of the species found ^vithin fifty miles 
of New York City, has been installed and forms one of 
the most instructive features of the department. Besides 
representatives of nearly all of the birds found in the 
immediate district, there are special cases devoted to the 
birds found there at particular seasons, the specimens being 
changed from month to month in order to show just 
what birds are present at any given season of the year. 
This arrangement proves very serviceable to local bird- 
students, who thus have only a few specimens to pass in 
review in their search for any particular species. Con- 
siderable material has been gathered for additional bird- 
groups, and several thousand skins have been received from 
South America which furnish many desirable specimens for 
mounting. 
The Ruskin Plot. — In memorv of his old friend John 
Ruskin, Mr. Henry Willett, of Arnold House, Brighton, 
has made an interesting and valuable gift to the Ashmolean 
Natural History Society of Oxfordshire. It consists of a 
piece of ground, about five acres in extent — woodland, 
marsh, bog, and water, ^ — which contains many local and rare 
specimens of animal and vegetable life. It is Mr. Willett's 
wish that the land should be known as '' The Ruskin Plot,'' 
and that it should be kept for all time in its natural condition. 
In order to ensure this a Trust is being prepared, which 
will vest the plot in the following Trustees : — The Lord 
Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, the Mayor of Oxford, the Vice- 
Chancellor, the RadcliflPe Librarian, the Hope Professor of 
Zoolojrv. the Shcrardian Professor of Botanv, and the donor. 
