Letters , Extracts , and Notes. 
717 
plan has been successfully carried out, we trust that the inde¬ 
fatigable explorer will come home, and devote his attention 
to his fine collection of Birds, the result of his two great 
journeys, which await his arrival at South Kensington. 
The proposed Introduction of the <e American Robin ” into 
England. —We believe that we are in agreement with the 
wishes of the large majority of ornithologists when we 
express a hope that the attempts to introduce the “ American 
Robin ” ( Turdus miyratorius) into this country will not 
succeed. We agree with the Editor of 1 Nature’ (Aug. 25th, 
1909) that the experiment is “of a very interesting cha¬ 
racter,” and that the bird in question is “ cheery,” its song 
“ kill ’em, cure ’em, give ’em physic ” being agreeable, 
except, perhaps, to the vendors of patent medicines. But 
our English gardens are fortunately the habitation of several 
melodious species of Thrush, and we should be much grieved 
if our Song-Thrushes and Blackbirds were displaced by 
intruders from other parts of the world. We know well 
what has happened in many parts of the globe where similar 
“ interesting experiments ” have succeeded, and where English 
Sparrows and Indian Mynahs have exterminated the native 
birds. According to our contemporary, seventeen American 
Robins turned out this spring near Guildford mated immedi¬ 
ately, and commenced nest-building almost at once, and 
“ now number between forty and fifty.” Eears are enter¬ 
tained, it is said, that these birds may have retained their 
“ migratory instinct,” and on the approach of winter will 
leave England and become “ hopelessly dispersed.” This, in 
our opinion, would be the best thing that could happen. 
We prefer our Turdus merula and T. musicus to T. migra- 
torius , in spite of its “ cheeriness.” 
The Auckland Museum, New Zealand. — Mr. Lewis T. 
Griffin, who was for about two years (under Mr. W. L. 
Sclater) taxidermist at the Cape Museum, and afterwards 
in a similar situation at the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, 
