[ 153 ] 



An interesting conversation was then commenced, and carried 

 on for a considerable time, the Rev. J. H. Cross, Mr. Wonfor, Mr. 

 W. Saunders, Mr. Sawyer, Mr. F. Phillips, Mr. R. Glaisyer, and 

 others, taking part in it. 



Previous to the reading of the paper, the meeting was informed 

 by Mr. F. E. Sawyer, that he had found two moi'e mammals since 

 he read his paper on " The Birds and Mammals of Sussex," in April 

 — namely, Bant vole farvlcola rlpariaj, common in the Weald in 

 wooded places ; and beach marten fmustela viartes), shot in 1826 at 

 Holmbush, Horsham ; making up the total of Sussex mammals to 

 31. 



Mr. Sawyer also directed attention to a paper read before the 

 Eastbourne Natural History Society by Mr. Roper, the President, 

 in which he rather severely criticised his (Mr. Sawyer's) paper on 

 " The Mammals and Birds of Sussex." He prefaced his reply to 

 the criticism with the explanation that in his paper he gave the 

 authorities, and the dates and places, relating to the birds mentioned, 

 while Mr. Roper did not. Notwithstanding this, Mr. Roper found 

 fault with him for not examining certain books for information 

 which he had examined ; Mr. Roper observed that he had stated 

 that the Gyr-Falcon was not a British bird, and that he had not 

 searched the works of Montague, Yarrell, and Selby, which 

 mentioned it as such. Tbis he had done, but had also learned that 

 in two or three museums birds were termed Gyr-Falcons, which 

 were not so ; and that in Harting's list, published in 1872, and, 

 therefore, the most recent, the Gyr-Falcon was omitted from the 

 list of British birds. 



The Chairman characterised indulgence in negative state- 

 ments, such as those of Mr. Roper, as a very thoughtless practice, 

 and very false reasoning ; and Mr. "Wonfor expressed his opinion 

 that Mr. Sawyer deserved credit for his research and the discovery 

 he had made with regard to the Gyr-Falcon, and that his reply to 

 Mr. Roper was satisfactory. 



