and extend his inquiries to other branches of science, but many would be attracted to the study who now, for the reasons I have hinted at, shrink from a task surrounded by almost insurmountable difficulties.—C. R. B.; January 12, 1853.

[I shall be most happy not only to receive the names of subscribers to such a Society, but to subscribe to it myself, and do all in my power to promote so laudable an object at the same time I must be excused from expressing any opinion in favour of its practicability.-E. Newman.]

Note on a Variety of the Green Woodpecker.—An old male green woodpecker was shot during the last week in December, 1852, at Hedenham, in this county, by a gentleman, who very kindly presented it to me, which exhibits some remarkable variations from the usual colouring of this species, especially on the rump, the feathers of which (including the upper tail-coverts) are, in this specimen, all margined and tipped with a beautiful flame-coloured red, instead of with the usual edging of yellow. The feathers at the lower part of the back of the neck are also similarly tipped with red; while those on the back are pointed with the beautiful golden-yellow edgings which usually characterize the feathers of the rump; and a similar yellow pointing is to be observed on the ends of the feathers forming the three lower rows of the wing-coverts. The other parts of the plumage do not differ from ordinary specimens.—J. H. Gurney; Easton, Norfolk, January 24, 1853.

Diseases produced by Coccide on the Olive, &c.—M. Robineau Desvoidy lately proceeded to the South of France, with the view of ascertaining the cause of a malady which had long been prevalent on the above trees in that part of the country, and which it was supposed had made its appearance in the central and northern departments. This disease, called morfée by the Italians, and fumagine in the North of France, consists in a thick black crust, which covers the trunks, branches, &c. of the trees, sometimes over a considerable extent of country. The trees become arrested in their growth, languid, and barren. According to historical accounts, this disease has not appeared more than a century. It is said to have first occurred near Rome, and to have spread thence through the whole of Italy, and into France. Every year it makes fresh progress, and no means of arresting it have yet been found. The Italians are not agreed as to to whether this disease be a special malady, or merely the result of the attacks of Coccidæ. The author supports the latter opinion, stating that the disease never occurs except upon trees attacked by those insects. Of these, he says that the Coccus adonidum, a native of Senegal, attacks especially the citron and lemon trees; the Coccus hesperidum, a native of America and Africa, prefers the orange, rose-bay, and peach trees; the Coccus aonidum, a native of the Indian Archipelago, attacks the Lauraceous trees; the Coccus Oleæ commits the greatest ravages upon the olive-trees, but also attacks the oranges and a number of other trees; this is the most destructive of all. Rich, moist, well cultivated localities are most favourable to the development of these insects, and it is in such localities that they commit the greatest ravages.From the Comptes Rendus,' August 2, 1852, p. 183.

6

[The crust should be melted, and would probably produce wax: the crust deposited by a Chinese Coccus in a similar manner on trees, produces wax of excellent quality.-E. N.]

Proceedings of Natural-History Collectors in Foreign Countries.

MR. H. W. BATES.*"Aveyros, Rio Tapajos, August 1, 1852.Although there is no conveyance from here safe enough to forward my collection, I profit by the opportunity of a small boat going to Santarem to write you an account of my proceedings, especially as I am in a rather out-of-the-way country now, and do not know when I shall have another opportunity to send a letter. I left Santarem, as in mine of the 6th of June I informed you I should, on the 8th of that month, and after a few hours' sail with a brisk wind, began to form something like a correct idea of this river. It is the most extensive and magnificent stretch of water I have seen in the whole river system of the Amazons. Like most of the other affluents, the Tapajos forms a delta of islands, alluvial and marsh lands, on its junction with the main river, by which the main channel flowing by Santarem is much contracted. I suppose there it is not more than 1 or 2 miles wide, but passing upwards, it expands into a breadth of from 8 to 10 miles, perhaps more, and continues thus for nearly a hundred miles, clear of islands; in fact, to a little below Aveyros. Both shores are marked by a line of hills, some isolated, others in long ridges, some conical, others truncated. This high country, generally covered with a uniform sombre forest, forms a picture very different from that of the alluvial flats and vivid green foliage of the banks of the Amazons. The winds here are strong and irregular, and the swell at times fearful. Sometimes a narrow margin of alluvial land skirts the banks, with beaches of white sand, forming lovely bays and harbours; but a great part consists of rock-bound coasts and precipices, at the foot of which the swell breaks with threatening roar. In fact, the voyage, instead of being a quiet slow excursion, like those we generally have on the Amazons, turned out a serious affair, full of peril and anxiety. I started in rather a critical season; the month of June being a transition season between the wet and the dry periods, the waters had not yet sunk many inches, and squalls, with thunder and lightning, occurred daily; at times, violent gusts came suddenly from the hills before sudden showers. In arranging my voyage, I found the usual difficulty in finding men. Indians only understand the management of canoes; and these are so few in number in comparison to the demand for them, that they are not to be found.

The authorities only

* Communicated by Mr. S. Stevens,

can assist a stranger, but these parties in Santarem are not at all obliging, and I was compelled to hire two mulattoes,―one, a coarse specimen from the South of Brazil, the other, a harmless young fellow of very little use to me. The bigger one proved a great annoyance. I soon found that he understood less of navigation than myself; but he was insolent, and would have his own way. Our first day's voyage was very inauspicious. We weighed anchor at Santarem at 8, A.M., after a good deal of trouble with the police-officers, who would not let this same fellow go until I had paid his debts. At about 2, P.M., the wind freshened, and the cable by which our small boat was secured, broke; the boat of course fell astern, and we put in-shore towards a small bay, between two cliffs, in order to cast anchor and wait until the boat came up with the wind. Into this bay rolled a tremendous swell, our vessel dragged its anchor, and we went ashore. It was a critical situation, but we kept the boat from bumping much by the aid of poles. The vessel is a stout-built one, and we were able to move out of the harbour about two hours afterwards, by the aid of our jibsail, rounding a jutting ledge of rocks, with the wind nearly a-head. This was only one of the dilemmas we got into through bad seamanship; and on reaching Aveyros, where I had previously arranged to stop, I of course dismissed the men, and resolved not to move a step further without two or three good Indians.

"After our troubles on the first day's voyage, I stopped at a little village called Altar do Chaô, about 20 miles above Santarem, to prepare for a better start. Here we mended the sails, fixed new cords and ropes, arranged the cargo more conveniently, &c. There was excellent collecting-ground, and I stayed till the 17th. Although so near Santarem, the Entomology of this station was totally different, from the different nature of the forest and other local circumstances. The place is wonderfully picturesque; a small bay with white sandy shores, isolated hills about 800 feet high, of a truncated pyramidal shape, a winding creek running inland, a sloping grassy plain, upon which are placed the 80 or 100 palm-thatched huts forming the village, and a lofty varied forest, overrunning equally undulating plains and swelling hills in the back-ground. The Callitheæ, and the peculiar Erycinide of Santarem were absent; but there appeared a very great abundance and diversity of Erycinidæ of other groups, especially Mesosemiæ, Calospilus and Nymphidium, and of Satyri. I added some three or four new species to my list, besides half-a-dozen new Longicornes, and many new species of other groups of Coleo

ptera, especially of the genus Canthon, of which the prevailing species were quite new to me.

"I reached this town, Aveyros, on the 23rd of June, and have remained here busily occupied to the present time. It consists of only fourteen houses, but is the residence of the commandant of the district, whom I previously knew. The river here is strewn with islands, which divide its breadth into several channels; this breaks the force of the swell and the winds, and renders travelling about in small boats pleasant. The town is situated on a tract of low land, and the forest offers nothing peculiar in the prevailing trees &c. from other districts. From this cause, the great majority of the diurnal Lepidoptera are the same as those I have met with in other places: but the diversity of species, and profusion of insects generally, is greater than I have observed elsewhere. Some of the species are old Pará friends, such as Papilio Vertumnus and Sesostris, Epicalia ancea, Nymphalis Stheneles, two species of Heterochroa, one of Paphia, four of Ithomia, Leptalis locula, and a great number of the rarer Pará Erycinidæ. Others are the same as the Tocantins species, particularly the beautiful sharpwinged Papilio I had not yet met with except on the Tocantins. Many are the same as those of Obydos, particularly the Eurygone and Heliconia Melpomene. Two only are Ega species, - one, the Callithea Batesii (of which I have secured only one, a female, very perfect), and one of the rarest of the Ega Cybdeles. I have enumerated nearly 300 distinct species of diurnal Lepidoptera seen here, including of course those numerous species common everywhere. The new species are in Leptalis, Heliconia, Eresia, Heterochroa, &c., and in Eurygona, Calospilus, and other groups of Erycinidæ. In all the other orders the diversity is equally great, and the number of species new to me far greater than in butterflies.

"As to the blue and orange Megastomas, I never saw them in copulâ nor in amoribus. All I can say is, that they are in equal abundance in the same places, flying with vast rapidity, and settling upon old logs, edges of canoes, &c., by the water-side. I think they are male and female, especially as the blue appeared about fifteen days before the red; and I would recommend Mr. Westwood to look again and see if he cannot detect a few pairs of minute spines at the apical joints of the fore-tarsi in the red and not in the blue. I have no specimens here, and cannot therefore decide the question. The difference in the fore-legs of the sexes in Nymphalidæ I found out myself, several months ago, and have a long series of sketches made; it exists

throughout the Heliconia and Satyri, of course the Erycinæ, and I think the Polyommati, from one species I have examined here.

"The large Morpho allied to Hecuba is found in most places, but everywhere excessively rare. It only appears in certain states of the weather, gleamy weather in January, February, June and July, — and then only in places in the forest where trees have fallen, and rarely descends from its usual height of 15 to 20 feet. Here I have watched it till tired; a long pole won't do, you cannot strike with sufficient force and precision. Perhaps there are more than one species,-I have seen it at Pará, Satarem, Obydos, Ega, &c.

"I have been very busy here, as I collect everything that does not interfere with insect collecting. The commandant here has procured for me two good Indians, who are now making a palm thatch to my canoe, and in two days I am off to the river Cuparé, a branch river, which I hear is very rich; two dead shells of the Anastoma have been brought me from there. The country is everywhere hilly, but the elevation not more than 800 or 1000 feet. The season is approaching, too, of abundance in turtle, fish, &c., and I hope to meet with the Cybdeles, Callianiræ, Timetes, Papilios, Diorhinæ and Megastomas of the Ega district on margins of rivers, as now is the season. Here I have found only one Cybdelis, one common Timetis, the common brown Charaxes? and Papilio Protesilaus, amongst the cloud of yellows on the river margin.

"H. W. BATES."

Occurrence of the Reddish-gray Bat (Vespertilio Nattereri) in Suffolk.--As the Editor of the Zoologist' some time ago requested from his correspondents communications respecting the bats of this country—a request, by the way, which has not been productive of any great visible effect, since for the last two years they seem to have totally ignored the existence of such animals,-I make no apology for saying that an adult male specimen of the reddish-gray bat (Vespertilio Nattereri) was obtained by one of my brothers from a hole in a wall here, on the 5th of July last. I had never to my knowledge seen this species here previously, nor am I aware that its occurrence in Suffolk has hitherto been recorded, although it might have been almost safely presumed, from the circumstance of its having been met with in all the other eastern counties, in which alone, singularly enough, it seems to have appeared.—Alfred Newton; Elveden Hall, Thetford, February 15, 1853.