Letters, Extracts, Notices, &^c. 679 



crouching, with droopii)g wings^ and slightly raised tail, 

 puffed out the featlicrs^ of her sides and flanks. When the 

 love-song had reacheu its height, it abruptly ceased, but 

 before the male had time to recover his normal position the 

 female had darted off. The male closely pursued her in and 

 out of the bushes, and both were lost to sight for the time 

 being. Presently the male returned to his high perch and 

 commenced to sing. 



For the greater part of a morning I watched this pair of 

 Robins, and twice saw the male go through the same curious 

 performance. On each occasion the scene lasted for a 

 minute or more. I made a series of rough sketches of the 

 birds' positions while they Mere still fresh in my memory, 

 and from these Mr. G. E. Lodge has prepared the accom- 

 panying illustration (p. 678), which gives a very exact idea 

 of the male uttering his love-spell, though it is impossible 

 to convey the curious swaying motion of the body which 

 accompanied it. I had never before witnessed this curious 

 courting habit, and I do not find mention of it in any book 

 on British birds to which I have referred. 



Yours &c., 



British Museum (Natural History). W. R, Ogilvie-Grant. 

 1st July, 1902. 



Report on the British Museum [Natural History) for 

 1901. — The following extracts from the Parliamentary 

 Report on the British Museum, issued in 1902, relate to 

 the National Collection of Birds, and to the progress made 

 in its Arrangement and Description in 1901 : — 



" Great progress has been made during the past year with 

 the re-arrangeraent and exhibition of the birds in the Public 

 Gallery. Two-thirds of the collection have now been put 

 into order, the old and faded specimens having been 

 removed and replaced by beautifully mounted examples, 

 representing the leading families and genera of the class 

 Aves. The mounting has been entrusted to j\Ir. Culling- 

 ford, of Durham, and Mr. G. Pickardt, both of whom aie 

 celebrated for their correct ta.xidermy of animals. 



" Two new groups of British Birds with their nests and 



