44 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiv. 



(XIII., p. 232), in which she states that on July 2nd about 

 half the birds had laid, in the Inner Hebrides, I might add, 

 that in the Scilly Isles they are much earlier, June i6th 

 generally seeing a number of eggs deposited, whilst in Orkney 

 they are correspondingly later, it being the third week in 

 July or even the last week, before this happens. From 

 Petrels which I had under observation in the Scilly Isles 

 in 1914, I should say that the incubation period is not about 

 thirty-five days, but at the very least forty-two days or even 

 longer. Unfortunately the outbreak of war prevented my 

 observations being concluded. H. W. Robinson. 



[From observations made on apparently fresh eggs hatched 

 out in an incubator, Mr. W. Evans found that two eggs were 

 chipped on the 33rd day and one hatched out on the 36th 

 day {Ibis, 1902, p. 57-58).— F. C. R. Jourdain.] 



NESTING OF GREAT CRESTED GREBE IN KENT. 



From the published records there seems to be no doubt that 

 in England the Great Crested Grebe {Podiceps c. cristatns) is 

 still increasing in numbers as a nesting species. This increase 

 is especially noticeable in the Midlands, and I am now able to 

 record that it is increasing in the south, in the county of Kent. 



In 191 1 they are recorded as nesting on the Lake at Hever 

 by A. Trevor-Battye ; this is the first record for Kent as a 

 nesting species ; it is said that they have established them- 

 selves at Hever and nest there regularly every year, but 

 whether this is so or not I am not able to say. 



In 1919 D. H. Meares {British Birds, Vol. XIII., page 59) 

 records them as nesting in N. Kent, and as having young on 

 June 2nd. 



Also in 1919 someone recorded in the local Kentish papers 

 that it had nested and hatched its eggs at Eastwell Park, 

 the writer asking if it was the first time that this bird had 

 nested in Kent. 



That it should nest on the lake at Eastwell Park — if 

 anywhere in Kent — any naturalist would expect. 



I am now pleased to be able to record that a pair have 

 nested this year near Maidstone, and had on May loth, five 

 eggs. As I left the county on that day and have only just 

 returned home, I do not know what has happened to these 

 birds, but there is no reason to suppose that they should 

 not establish themselves on the lake, as the owner is 

 anxious, I believe, to preserve all rare species of birds in 

 the county. James R. Hale. 



[In connection with the above, it may be mentioned that 



