lxiv Journal of Proceedings.
and I have one of them yet—a very healthy bird, thanks to the care of
Mrs. Travis. The boy had thrown away the nest, but described it as
very much like a linnet's, but smaller.
Mr. Harting said he should like to make a few remarks on the above
list. Many of the birds mentioned were of extreme rarity, and he
thought it would be wise to ask for further particulars before giving the
list a permanent place in the records of the Club. From experience he
could say that in many cases it would be found on examining the
evidences on which such lists were based that the writers have been
too hasty in identifying their specimens with rare species. The very
first bird on the list, to his mind, was very doubtful; the Dusky Petrel
was of extreme rarity in Britain, and has only been obtained on one or
two occasions; he could not help thinking that the bird referred to
would prove to be a specimen of the Manx Shearwater; that bird breeds
here, and it is often called a Petrel, although it differs from that genus
in some respects. Of course it was quite possible that all the birds
mentioned were correctly named, but he would strongly urge the neces-
sity of caution and enquiry before accepting as absolute facts the
statements made in such lists as the above.
The President thought all would agree with Mr. Harting in the
necessity for caution : errors were easily committed and then became
difficult to eradicate. He would suggest that the Secretary should
communicate with Mr. Travis, with the view of settling the questions
raised.
[The list was returned to Mr. Travis, who, we understand, is
a good ornithologist, and it is now printed as revised by him.—Ed.]
Mr. P. Copland exhibited some specimens of fossil wood from the
London clay at Walton-on-the-Naze, and Mrs, Yeates some glacial
drift fossils picked up in the neighbourhood of High Beech.
The meeting then resolved itself into a conversazione.
Saturday, December 18th, 1880.—Ordinary Meeting.
The Monthly Meeting was held at the Head Quarters, at seven o'clock,
the President in the chair. The following works were presented to the
library: "Journal of Royal Microscopical Society," presented by
W. Eminens, Esq., F.R.M.S.; "History and Description of Cassiobury
Park" (folio), by John Britton, presented by Messrs. Alfred and
G. H. Lockyer; "Deterioration of Oyster and Trawl Fisheries of
England," by "J. P. Hore and E. Jex, presented by the authors. The
following persons were elected members of the Club:—Charles