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Show 1867.] MESSRS. SCLATER AND SALVIN ON PERUVIAN BIRDS. 983 a glinipse of Arequipa. What a glorious sight it was, with its white stone houses, and the green fields extending for miles round the city. Arequipa is 7800 feet above the sea, and a distance of ninety miles from Islay. The journey took me twenty-four hours, and I was rather tired when I arrived." (Letter IV., Arequipa.) "On the 15th of July Mr. Gibson and myself started for a trip to Salinas, a salt-lake at an elevation of 14,000 feet. W e had three servants with us and two pack-mules. At some distance from Islay we commenced to ascend, and arrived the first day at the village of Chihuata, at an elevation of 9000 feet. Here we were hospitably received in the house of one of the residents, and slept the night. The next morning we started early ; and now commenced the worst part of the journey, the road being a gradual ascent of mountains for 5300 feet. The way, however, was enlivened by the sight of numerous birds, and especially, for some 2000 feet, by the movements of the Giant Humming-bird (Patagona gigas). "On arriving at the highest part of our journey, a glorious sight burst on our view, the volcano being in active eruption, and vast volumes of smoke coming up from the crater and spreading over the country. W e had now to descend about 300 feet, and came upon the lake, which was nearly all dried up, and was quite dazzling to the sight, the whole surface being covered with layers of salt. After a ride of about six miles round the lake, we came to some Indian huts, and also a small chapel, where we intended to sleep. By this time it was getting dark and very cold. The next day we had some shooting, and got some Ducks and also three Flamingos, but unfortunately they had the hind toe*. I will not trouble you with all details; it is sufficient to say we shot altogether ninety-five birds, out of which I selected the best for preserving. " W e stayed here two days, and then returned to Chihuata, slept there the night, and the next morning I was out early and shot a large Humming-bird (Patagona gigas), the dark one with the patch of green upon the throat (Metallura cupreicauda), and the one with the green throat and chestnut patch on the belly (Oreotrochilus estella). W e returned the same day to Arequipa." The specimens of birds collected by Mr. Whitely at Islay and Arequipa and during the above-mentioned excursion to Salinas belong to fifty-eight species, of which a list is subjoined. Although mostly species of great interest and some rarity, there is little actually new to science amongst them. They are mostly species described in D'Orbigny's well-known 'Voyage,' and in Tschudi's 'Fauna Peruana.' Many Chilian species alsoextend thus far north; and the general aspect of the avifauna of Western Peru is decidedly Chilian, having no features in common with the eastern w6od-region of Peru. W e reserve, however, our o-eneral remarks on this subject until the receipt of further collections, which will give us more materials for forming a judgment on it. * I had particularly requested Mr. Whitely to look out for Phcenicopterus andinus, which has no hind toe.-P. L. S. |