60 BRITISH BIRDS. 



BLACK-TAILED GODWIT IN NORTH WALES. 



As the concluding part of Mr. Coburn's note under this head 

 in the June issue of British Birds calls in question the 

 accuracy of the statement in the "Vertebrate Fauna of North 

 Wales," that the Black-tailed Godwit had occurred previously 

 at Barmouth, I would like to reply briefly. In the first place 

 Mr. Coburn misquotes the passage. I did not state that the 

 bird was noted by Mr. F. C. Rawlings, but that it was obtained. 

 Mr. Rawlings recorded it in the " Zoologist," 1894, p. 334, 

 as " Rare : one procured in August, 1893." In reply to 

 my enquiry for details Mr. Rawlings writes as follows : — 

 " Though I have never shot the Black-tailed Godwit or noted 

 it alive, I saw one in the flesh, and I think skinned and 

 stuffed it for a Mr. — - on August 11th, 1893." The 

 species is distinctly rare in North Wales, but other examples 

 are recorded in the " Fauna " on the estuaries of the Dee and 

 Dovey, and one in the west of Anglesey. 



H. E. Forrest. 



LARGE CLUTCHES OF EGGS OF THE GREAT 

 CRESTED GREBE. 



With reference to Mr. Oldham's letter in the June number of 

 British Birds re the early nesting of the Great Crested Grebe, 

 the three young he mentions were hatched from a nest, which 

 contained six eggs on April 8th. I waded out to it myself. 



This pair now has only two young : what has happened to 

 the third I do not know. 



On p. 327 of Vol. I. I noted a nest of Great Crested Grebe 

 containing the unusual number of seven eggs, and suggested 

 that they might have been the product of two female birds. 

 As stated above, I have found a nest containing six eggs this 

 year ; I also found a nest containing six eggs on the same 

 reservoir on April 16th, 1908. These three nests were in almost 

 the same place in each of the three consecutive years. I 

 suppose they were the property of the same unusually prolific 

 pair. 



The Great Crested Grebe is increasing in numbers on the 

 Weston Turville Reservoir, Herts., every year. I noticed at 

 least five different pairs this year. 



L. W. Crouch. 



The accompanying photograph of a Great Crested Grebe's 

 nest taken in Norfolk is interesting, owing to its containing 

 a clutch of six eggs. These eggs, so far as the keeper could 

 tell, were laid by one bird. The nest itself is rather exposed. 



