Letter's, Extracts, and Notes. 
757 
U)21.] 
young at hand, and find that their plumages are exactly 
analogous to those of the Eagle-Owl; at a certain age they 
are covered with a long second down, bearing the short first 
down at the tip, to be covered over in a few weeks or so by 
the “juvenile 31 feather plumage, also bearing the short first 
down at the tip. 
In the Game Birds we have three definite plumages before 
the first winter plumage—the first being a down plumage 
and the others true feathers; and it is perhaps interesting to 
note that among a small percentage of males in domestic 
poultry the second plumage, with the exception of the flights , 
is entirely suppressed. 
The question of these plumages, which is of considerable 
interest, needs much careful further study. 
J. Lewis Bonhote. 
Park Hill House, Oarshalton, 
25 July, 1921. 
The Ornithological Society of France. 
We welcome the announcement in the July number oi 
the ‘ Kevue Franjaise d^Ornithologie' of the formation and 
first meeting of the “ Societe Ornithologique de France/’ 
which was held on 29 May last in the Zoological Theatre 
of the Museum in Paris. M. Menegaux presided, and the 
following officers were electedHon. Presidents, MM. 
Bureau and Simon ; President, M. A. Menegaux ; Vice- 
Presidents, Dr. Arnault and M. Lavauden ; Secretary, M. J. 
Bapine; and Treasurer, M. Villette de Pingues. 
The Oxford University Expedition to Spitsbergen, 1921. 
We are glad to announce that the members of the first 
party of the Oxford Expedition have now returned safely to 
England. Some alterations in the original plans had to be 
made, owing to difficulties of transport during a period of 
strikes both in England and Norway. From 13 June to 
23 June a biological survey of the southern part of Bear 
Island was carried out by a party of seven under the 
