332 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, fyc. 
Mr. Wallace’s last letters (dated “ Batchian, Jan.28th, 1859”) 
announce that he has heard of a second and finer species of 
Paradise-bird in that island. Also that he has sent off speci¬ 
mens of the newly-discovered Semioptera wallacii* by the Over¬ 
land Mail to Mr. Stevens, so that they may be very shortly 
expected in this country f. 
Mr. Eraser’s collections are still detained in Ecuador by the 
blockade of Guayaquil. His last letters (dated “Trugincho 
above Puellaro, April 18th ”) say,— 
“ Guayaquil is, and has been strictly blockaded for now eight 
months by the Peruvian fleet, the mail alone being allowed to 
pass; and it is said that the population is suffering from the 
scarcity and high price of provisions. 
“ On the 22nd of March we had two shocks of an earth¬ 
quake ; it occurred about 8’30 a.m. I received it in Calacali; 
it was quite momentary, and being in my quartero at the time, I 
can only say it was indescribable (I had experienced two in 
Malta in 1846 or 1847, and was much of the same opinion 
then),—a noise, sensation, and confusion ; the one followed the 
other so quickly that there was not any time for reflection until 
all was over, and the mischief done. On going into the patio or 
yard to see what was the matter, I found the adjoining quarter 
or room thrown down, and the rest of the building so cracked 
and shaken as to be in a ruinous state, except my solitary 
quarter, which alone escaped with very slight damage. The 
church-door was thrown down, but I did not see or hear of 
further mischief in that pueblo. San Antonio, which I passed 
through the same day, had both churches thrown down, but I 
did not hear of further damage. 
“ The air, en camino, was filled with clouds of fine dust from 
the slips on the mountain sides. 
“ Descending the mountain to the river, below Perucho, the 
earth had slipped over the road in three places, and we had to 
* See antea, p. 210, and P. Z. S. 1859, p, 129. 
t Since writing the above, these birds have arrived. We hope to give 
full particulars about them in our next Number. 
