426 
Letters , Announcements , be. 
Crichton's 1 Naturalist's Ramble to the Orcades,' being a collec¬ 
tion of letters printed some time since in a popular sporting 
newspaper, is also announced for immediate publication in a sepa¬ 
rate form*. 
Though we unfortunately cannot claim the well-known 
African explorer Mr. C. J. Andersson as more than half an 
Englishman, we must not refrain from mentioning here the 
great design he has in contemplation, and which, provided he 
can obtain the requisite support, he will certainly carry out. 
This is the publication of a work on the birds of South-western 
Africa, to consist of three volumes in Royal 8vo., illustrated by 
upwards of four hundred and fifty tinted or coloured plates, by 
Messrs. Baines and Wolf. Those who know anything of the 
expense of producing such a work as Mr. Andersson contem¬ 
plates will be surprised to learn that publishers have been found 
who undertake to bring out ‘ The Avifauna of South-western 
Africa* at the price to subscribers of five guineas only; but to guard 
themselves from loss they require a guarantee of five hundred 
subscribers. We trust the five hundred may be forthcoming, so 
that this grand design may not fall through ; and we ourselves 
shall be very happy to receive and forward to Mr. Andersson 
the names of any intending subscribers. We may add that 
this project in no way interferes with that of Mr. Layard. The 
work of the last-named gentleman is specially on the birds of 
the Cape Colony, and is limited to the species which occur 
south of lat. 28°, from which line Mr. Andersson proposes to 
start, and include those .which occur between the Orange River, 
Cunene, Okavango, Teouge, and the Lake N'gami country, for 
the knowledge of which we are almost entirely indebted to his 
indefatigable efforts, which hitherto unfortunately have obtained 
for him but little reward for the toil, the hardships, the dangers, 
and the disasters he has undergone in their pursuit. 
* The works of Mr. Harting and Mr. Crichton have been published 
since the above was written. ; 
