Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, fyc. 211 
three of them (Snowy Owl, Great White Heron, and Bewick's 
Swan) in his second work, and, so far as my memory serves me, 
omitted only one (the Great White Heron) in his third work; 
but as I have only the second work within reach at present, I 
may be mistaken in this. 
Now although I believe there are thirty-five deficiencies in 
British oology, I am still at a loss to discover how many known 
species ought to be considered British, and I should feel deeply 
indebted to yourself, or any other member of the British Orni¬ 
thologists' Union, who would kindly inform me how I can obtain 
a reliable list of British birds, and still more indebted to any 
one who would publish such a list in the way suggested in my 
last letter. 
In common with many others who feel a real interest in the 
study of ornithology, I am too much engaged in professional 
avocations to admit of my devoting much time to the pursuit, 
and am obliged to confine my attention pretty much to British 
birds ; consequently I am desirous that my knowledge of these 
should be as exact as possible, and this, without an authentic list, 
is difficult to attain. 
Yours, &c., Beayen Rake. 
Mr. Samuel Stevens has just received a letter from Mr. A. R. 
Wallace, dated “Ternate, December 7th," in which he writes as 
follows :—“ I returned to Ternate a few days after the last mail 
had left here, having had a most hazardous voyage from Ceram 
and Waigiou. My collections are immense, but very poor, when 
it is considered that they are the result of nine months' collecting 
by two persons in East and North Ceram, My sol, and Waigiou. 
Ceram is a wretched country; and the Papuan Islands, now that 
the cream is taken off by Aru and Dorey, are really not worth 
visiting, except for the Birds of Paradise. 
“ My beetles, I am sorry to say, are most miserable—smaller 
and more obscure species than at Dorey, and only a few of the 
good ones found there, and none in any quantity. 
“ In birds there is absolutely nothing good but the Paradisea 
rubra, which is the only species that inhabits Waigiou, and is 
peculiar to that island. 
