276 THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE IN OXFORDSHIRE. 



I believe, a general opinion that this species is, to say the least, 

 extremely unwilling to take wing : our observations, however, do not 

 at all accord with this idea, the old birds several times rising and 

 flying for some little distance. Their feet, indeed, generally dipped 

 the water, and a good deal of wmg-flapping seemed necessary ; but 

 still they proceeded at a fair pace. 



Mr. Holbech tells me that he saw three young there in July, 1880, 

 and, from the fact of two pairs having nested there this season, I am 

 in hopes that this line species may become thoroughly established in 

 the locality. 



The brothers A. and H. Matthews, who wrote from Weston-on-the- 

 Green an account of " The Birds of Oxfordshire and its Neighbour- 

 hood,' published in the " Zoologist " for 184y-.50, p. 2,623, state simply 

 that the species " is sometimes found in this neighbourhood." 

 Although I have several notes of the occuiTeuce of these birds in 

 North Oxon and parts of the adjoining counties during the last few 

 years, and Mr. Everard im Thurn (who collected for a short time in 

 the district), informs me that he has twice obtained the mature birds, 

 I have been unable to find any other record of their breeding with us. 



The specimen on the table (exhibitel by Mr. Fi-emantle, of Balliol 

 College) is labelled Winslow, Bucks, August, 1878. It is, I would 

 suggest, just commencing its second year. In the spring following it 

 would have partially developed the crest and ruffs of the more mature 

 bird, and in the spring of its third year would probably have attained 

 the full breeding dress of the adult, an example of which will be found 

 in one of the cases devoted to the collection of British birds here. 



^iUbirtos. 



The British Moss Flora. By R. BiurrHWAiTE, M.D., F.L.S. Paut V., -is. 



FaM. VII. DlCRAXACE.^:. 



This part fully sustains the high reputation of the author for fulness 

 of description and fidelity of delineation. Descriptions are given of the 

 various species belonging to the genera Seligeria, Brachydontium, 

 Blindia, Didymodon, Dicrauo-Weissia, and part of Dicrauum ; and it 

 contains four 8vo. plates giving faithful illustrations of twenty-seven 

 of the species described. The nomenclature is not always that to 

 which British botanists have been accustomed, but the full and 

 complete synonymy of each species renders such alterations a matter 

 of no inconvenience to the student. J. E. B. 



British Museum — (Natural History). — An illustrated Guide to the 

 Exhibition Galleries of the department of Geology and Palseoutology 

 in the British Museum of Natural History, South Kensington, has 

 just been printed by order of the Trustees. The work, which has been 

 jirepared by Dr. Henry Woodward, Keeper of the Department, con- 

 tains pictures of the Mustodotu Irish Elk, Musk Ox, Ghjptodon, Dinornis, 



