378 
Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 
Mr. Stalker left England about a year ago, and proceeded 
to the Aru Islands to obtain living examples of Birds-of- 
Paradise for Sir William Ingram. It had been arranged 
that, after completing this engagement, he should join the 
other members of the British Ornithologists' Union Expedi¬ 
tion, filling up his time until their arrival by collecting 
natural-history specimens and by making the preliminary 
arrangements for transport in New Guinea. His letter, 
mentioned above, states how usefully he had employed his 
time in carrying out his instructions. Mr. Stalker had 
already had considerable experience of life in New Guinea, 
having spent several years (between 1904-6) at the gold 
mines on the Mambare River, in the northern part of the 
British territory. It was then that he first began to collect 
specimens for the Natural History Museum. Subsequently, at 
the suggestion of Mr. Oldfield Thomas, who had discovered 
his great ability in trapping and preparing mammals, he 
was sent by Sir William Ingram and Mr. Forest to 
Alexandra, in the northern territory of South Australia, and 
in 1907 to Inkerman, in East Queensland. In both these 
places he did admirable work, and formed fine collections of 
mammals, which were presented by his patrons to the Natural 
History Museum. In 1909, in company with Mr. C. R. 
Horsbrugh, he again visited British New Guinea and the 
Aru Islands on behalf of Sir William Ingram, and was 
successful in bringing back a large number of living Birds- 
of-Paradise, including a male of the beautiful Blue Bird- 
of-Paradise (Paradisornis rudolphi ), which had not previously 
been brought to Europe alive. Early in 1909, after a short 
stay in England, he again started on the present undertaking, 
when he so unfortunately lost his life. Mr. Stalker was 
quite a young man—only thirty-one years of age—having 
been born on January 17, 1879, and it is sad to think that 
the successful career of this talented naturalist should have 
been terminated so early and in so tragic a manner. 
Lorentz's New Guinea Expedition .—We learn from ‘ Nature 9 
of February 17 (vol. 82, p. 464) that a telegram has been 
