1897-9S.] Notes on a feiv rare Mosses. 387 



Lord Lilford's ' Birds of the British Islands ' : — 



It is difficult, but by no means impossible, to keep the cuckoo in con- 

 finement through the winter in this country ; but it is not an attractive 

 cage bird, and, in my experience, becomes so restless at the season of 

 migration that, however cpuiet and tame at other times, it invariably, when 

 urged by the travelling instinct, ruins its plumage and appearance by 

 breaking the feathers of its wings and tail in attempting to escape. The 

 general demeanour of my captives of this species has been sulky, greedy, 

 and spiteful. 



[The cuckoo as exhibited at the meeting was in rather poor 

 condition, so far as feathers went, but it was quite healthy, 

 and had a good appetite, as was shown by the greedy man- 

 ner in which it took some meal-worms given to it. The 

 paragraph in the ' Scotsman ' giving an account of this meet- 

 ing of the Society was widely copied by the provincial press, 

 both in Scotland and England, and Mr Campbell received a 

 large number of letters (addressed to the care of the Secretary) 

 from different parts of the country, desiring further particulars 

 regarding the bird. The editor of the ' Sketch ' wrote asking 

 for a photo of the cuckoo, and the illustration duly appeared 

 in that paper on May 30, 1898.] 



XII— NOTES ON A FEW RARE MOSSES. 



By Mr A. MURRAY. 

 (Read April 27, 1898.) 



I desire to say a few words about some important finds in 

 mosses which Mr Charles Scott and I have made. The first 

 I shall mention is the most important of all — Stableria gracile 

 (Orthodontium). This moss, as recorded, has only once been 

 found in Scotland before. Hobkirk mentions it as having been 

 found in Yorkshire and Cheshire. Dixon and Jameson says, 

 " A very rare and distinct species, hardly known out of 

 Britain, except in two French localities." Dr Braithwaite 

 gives all the reported localities — Helsby, Frodsham, Alderley 



