The Zoologist— June, 1868. 1249 



Dr. Fleming some years ago that a specimen was taken in a pond of 

 fresh water two miles from the Thames, on the estate of Sir William 

 Clayton, near Marlow, in Buckinghamshire ! That a bird of such tho- 

 roughly oceanic habits, and with wings so rudimentary as to be useless 

 for flight, should be found so far inland as stated, seems, if not physically 

 impossible, at all events highly improbable. I have no doubt that 

 the species was misnamed, and that the bird really captured was, iri 

 all probability, one of the divers — either the great northern or the 

 blackthroaied diver. I need hardly add that all endeavours to trace 

 a ' great auk,' or to gain any further particulars respecting it, have 

 proved utterly unsuccessful.'" — p. 213. 



Such is the evidence on which four of the species rest their claim 

 to be considered birds of Berkshire : there are other names I should 

 like to see expunged, but I have not space to urge my objections. 

 I ought to observe that in the numerous existing local lists of British 

 birds, the disposition to swell the number ot species at the expense of 

 probability is only loo apparent. 



Without a little bit of criticistn all notices of books are essentially 



vapid ; so I will mention a feature in the work that strikes me as 



objectionable — I mean the inaccuracy of the index. I had occasion 



to refer to Savi's warbler and at once consulted the index, not doubting 



it would be a sure guide : there is a double reference to the species, 



" Warbler, Savi's," and " Savi's warbler," but neither refers to any page 



in which the bird is mentioned. To use the mildest term, this may 



be called inconvenient. 



Edward Newman. 



1 On the Distribution of Lepidoptera in Great Britain and Ireland? 

 By Herbert Jenner-Fust, M.A. 



Several conditions seem required to make such a work as this 

 really useful to the truth-seeker. In ihejirst place, the laborious task 

 thus voluntarily undertaken should be carefully performed ; secondly, 

 the work should be so arranged as to be readily accessible, and, thirdly; 

 it should give an exact idea of the matter whereon it professes to treat. 

 Now the first of these conditions is fulfilled ; the author's task has been 

 carefully and conscientiously performed; no praise of the author's 

 Industry and zeal can possibly be too great : the second condition is 

 hot so completely fulfilled ; there is no index, and no work without 

 &u alphabetical index can be readily accessible ' witness Weslwood's' 



SECOND' SERIES — VOL. ill. 2 Cf 



