NOTES 117 



Healed Fracture in Tarsus of Golden Plover. A Golden 

 Plover (Charadrius apricarius) shot on the shore at Cambo, Fife, 

 on 15th February 191 7, and forwarded to me, shows an interesting 

 example of the mending of a broken bone. The left tarsus in its 

 lower third is the seat of a healed fracture. Its direction is 

 obliquely upwards and to the left, and the union is bony throughout. 

 The lower fragment, which has probably been comminuted, is 

 displaced upwards and outwards, with a slight degree of rotation 

 forwards, while the upper fragment is slightly convex anteriorly. 

 There is shortening to the extent of 6 mm. Both fragments 

 throughout are much swollen and rarified, as a result of inflamma- 

 tion. The tibio-tarsal articulation appears normal. There is 

 moderate thickening of the bones at the first interdigital articulation 

 of the third toe of the maimed foot, this would, I think, 

 correspond to the portion of it which would come in contact with 

 the ground. The toes are drawn up and fixed; this is due to 

 firm, fibrous adhesion of the flexor tendons at the seat of fracture. 

 The right foot has developed a large pad. This is formed of fibrous 

 and adipose tissue, there being no indication of inflammation or 

 suppuration. L. R. Sutherland, Dundee. 



Red-necked Grebe in the Moray Area. On the morning 

 of 9th October 191 2 there were several Red-necked Grebes in 

 Udale Bay, Cromarty Firth. I saw perhaps half a dozen in all, 

 fishing, singly, close in-shore. Apart from the diagnostic characters 

 mentioned by Miss Jackson (a?itea, p. 69), which are only available 

 in a good light and at close quarters, the Red-necked Grebe in 

 winter dress appears not only to be rather smaller but more stoutly 

 built than the Great Crested, and the dorsal surface is darker. The 

 neck in the larger bird seems to be relatively as well as actually 

 longer and more slender, and the body tapers more. Charles 

 Oldham, Berkhamsted, Herts. 



Moorhens perching on Trees. My friend Mr W. L. Walker 

 writes me as follows : "My dog flushed three Moorhens out of the 

 meadow at Auchinbothie (Kilmacolm). All the birds flew high 

 into the wood and lighted on the tops of the birch-trees at least 

 25 or 30 feet high. They sat there while I was in the vicinity for 

 over half an hour." When the writer was living on Caldwell estate, 

 the old keeper (Mr Proctor) showed him a Rook's nest in the 

 "Crow Wood" in which a Moorhen hatched out her brood in two 

 successive seasons. This nest would also be about 30 feet from the 

 ground in a Scots fir-tree. T. Thornton Mackeith. 



