360 
Messrs. Layard on the 
of the shooting. We must state that L. L. was dressed in 
one of our collecting-suits, which we had made for Para and 
the Philippine Islands, thin, blue material, fitting close, and 
full of pockets. In colour it resembles the stuff worn by the 
peasantry here. 
In reply to his now angry tone, L. L. flourished his per- 
mis ” at him, and the mien of “ Dogberry 99 was instantly 
changed. “ Par bleu ! it’s the English Vice-Consul ! Mille 
pardones. (Bows and scrapes.) How could he know 
Monsieur in that dress. (Handshaking and fraternite.) 
Monsieur and M. le Consul were great zoologists. He had 
orders to help MM. in every thing (in truth, orders have 
been sent, by our kind friend the Governor, through all the 
provinces that in case we travel every help should be given 
us). Had Monsieur had f bon succes / 99 &c. (More bows 
and scrapes, and exeunt omnes.) 
The most interesting bird obtained the morning we visited 
Ansevata was, to us, a novelty, both as to its genus and spe¬ 
cies ; nor can we discover any clue to it amongst the papers 
and descriptions already referred to. 
It was shot by L. L. in thick, low scrub, almost on the 
sea-beach, where it was observed. It progresses rapidly by 
short powerful leaps from bough to bough. He did not hear 
it utter any note, as he only had a very short time to observe 
it in*. 
P.S. February 2nd.—Since writing the above, I this morn¬ 
ing paid a visit to Ansevata, hoping to procure another Rhi- 
pidura ; and close to the place where we shot the other I soon 
found a pair of birds. They struck me as very small; and 
my astonishment may well be imagined when, on picking up 
one that fell to the long gun’s destructive powers, I found I 
had the bird that had been described as the R. albiscapa from 
[* This specimen, which has been sent to us for examination by Mr. 
Layard, seems referable to the species described by J. Verreaux (Nouv. 
Arch, du Mus. Bull. v. p. 17, t. i. f. 2) as Megalurulus maria. The figure 
is by no means a good one, and shows a rather more rufous tint of plu¬ 
mage than Mr. Layard’s example; but there can be little doubt that it 
is intended to represent an individual of the same species.— Edd.] 
