Letters, Announcements, ^c. 351 



A. Harvie-Brown for identification, and it is now in the 

 museum of Major H. W. Feilden and Harvie-Brown. It 

 arrived with [a fiock of j other migrants, amongst which 

 were 1 Robin, several Sandpipers, 1 Yellow Bunting, 1 Chaf- 

 finch, Wheatears [locally and erroneously called " Stone- 

 chats •"] , 1 Golden-crested Wren, and 1 Common Thrush. 

 Mr. Gilmour writes : — " I have never seen a bird like it 

 before." It came with a strong S.E. wind, and a S. and 

 S.E. wind had prevailed for some days (3) beforehand. The 

 weather was clear on the 28th, but hazy on the 31st, or day 

 of capture. 



Note. — This may, we believe, be considered the most 

 northerly record of the species in Britain up to date. 



In conclusion, uniformity of method is a desideratum — a 

 saving of time, labour, and thought. If some such form be 

 adopted by all readers, how easy would it become for an 

 editor, or any other party desirous of writing at length, to 

 " read as he ran," and to transform the uniform records into 

 extended and possibly more popularly useful and permanent 

 ones. A single page, or at most two, of any periodical each 

 month would provide ample space for the whole uniform 

 records of that month. Query : — How many pages more 

 would give the permanent information whenever it is desired 

 to extend it, or to '^^ write off,''^ '^ compile," and ^'render 

 permanently historical " the fauna, or this portion of the 

 faunal account, of any county or faunal area ? And Query: — 

 Would it not be easier to sift the value of each record if it 

 were primarily placed in some such form ? also to illustrate 

 this and to reply to it ? 



To correspond and ask for further data and corroborative 

 facts in connexion with all records of rarities consumes the 

 time of a working naturalist. To minimize this loss of time 

 seems desirable. 



Example. — A correspondent writes : — " Dear H.-B. You 

 record in 'Ibis^ for June 1884 the occurrence of Ruticilla 

 /i/y5 from Peutland Skerries, dated 31st March, 1884. Please 

 inform me time of day it was captured or first seen." 



Instead of this, it might be : — " Dear H.-B. : vide Record 



