H. Piper; measurements of their successive strata are given in his paper-see page 138 of Woolhope Transactions, 1884. It was with some regret that the members heard the announcement that the Passage Beds here were so overgrown by vegetation that, with the limited time to-day at their disposal, a halt here would be useless. The thicknesses of the Beds in succession will be found in Mr. La Touche's paper. The next objects of importance seen in the day's route, but not visited, were Norton camp upon the right, Yeo Edge, the habitat of Astrantia major upon the left, and Stokesay Castle, Church, and Vicarage, the residence of the Rev. J. D. La Touche, President of the Caradoc Club. The members dined at the Craven Arms, Mr. H. Southall presiding. After dinner the Geology of the Passage Beds was explained in a paper by Mr. La Touche, and Mr. George H. Piper, in a humorous reply, acknowledging on behalf of the Woolhope Club their disappointment in not being able to view and examine to-day the Passage Beds of which they had heard so much, congratulated the party upon the pleasure with which they would remember this successful joint Field Meeting of the two Clubs, over a country so instructive in its geological features. The large party was composed as follows:-The Caradoc Field Club, under the Rev. J. D. La Touche, President, marshalled by their Honorary Secretary, Rev. T. Auden, brought about thirty members. In the place of Sir Herbert Croft, Bart., Mr. H. Southall presided for the Woolhope Club, who mustered in force amounting to about forty members. There were present :-Mr. G. H. Piper, F.G.S., a former president; Dr. T. A. Chapman, Dr. J. H. Wood, Revs. G. E. Ashley, H. A. Barker, J. O. Bevan, William Bowell, C. Burrough, Preb. Wm. Elliot, J. E. Grasett, Preb. C. E. Maddison Green, A. G. Jones, H. B. D. Marshall, H. North, R. Remington, Hon. W. P. S. Stanhope, M. G. Watkins, Major Doughty, Captain E. Dansey Oldham, Messrs. Robert Clarke, G. Cresswell, James Davies, J. W. Lloyd, T. C. Paris, O. Shellard, H. C. Moore, Honorary Secretary, and James B. Pilley, Assistant Secretary; with the following visitors— Hon. and Rev. Preb. Hanbury, Rev. H. P. Prosser, Lieutenant Colonel Blathwayt, Messrs. William Davis, Froysell, Bagett Haggard, James Nott, Prescott, and others. Of the Caradoc Club the following-Rev. J. D. La Touche, President, Rev. T. Auden, St. Julian's, Shrewsbury, Honorary Secretary, Revs. N..Cooper, Oxon Vicarage, W. G. D. Fletcher, St. Michael's, Shrewsbury, R. W. Gleadowe, of Frodesley, J. Lewis, of Ford Vicarage, E. Myers, A. T. Pelham, of Cound, G. B. Powell, of Munslow, and J. G. Swainson, of Wistanstow, Messrs. Beacall, Blunt, A. Bratton, Burson, Edgar Sterling Cobbold, of Church Stretton, Charles Fortey, of Ludlow, W. E. Garnett-Botfield, of Bishop's Castle, Oldroyd, Thomas Phillips, F. Sandford, with a few others, whose names were not ascertained. one. THE COLLECTION OF BRITISH CLUNGUNFORD HOUSE, [By Rev. M. G. WATKINS.] BIRDS AT On arriving at Clungunford House, May 30th, 1890, the Woolhope Club, together with those members of the Caradoc Field Club who had joined the excursion, were received by J. C. L. Rocke, Esq., and Mrs. Rocke. They at once ushered the party into the room which holds what is without doubt the finest private collection of stuffed British birds in the kingdom. Many were the exclamations of delight before the visitors began in earnest the work of examining the specimens one by The birds were stuffed by Shaw, of Shrewsbury, and are most tastefully arranged in glass cases round a long room built for the purpose. The first glance round is very striking, so varied and graceful are the attitudes of the different birds, large and small, while their plumage, mostly of the brown and sober hues which befit our misty skies and rainy climate, contrasts beautifully with the few birds of more brilliant feathers, favoured children of the sun, which every now and then are found more or less bewildered on our shores, such as the Golden Oriole, the Roller, and Bee-eater. Leaving these brighter-hued birds out of consideration, the tender gray and brown and black plumage, which is so conspicuous among our native birds, composes wonderful harmonies of colour wherever the eye falls in this splendid collection. Nature works as many marvels with these sober hues under our leaden skies as she does with her more brilliant and metallic shades of vivid red and green and gold in the Tropics, only in the one case it requires an educated eye to notice them, whereas prodigality of colour at once forces itself upon the attention. The first case which attracts the visitor is that which contains four Golden Eagles, two of which are tending a pair of callow eaglets, if birds can be so described which are clad in the curious snow-white down of infant eagles. Grand and majestic are the old birds, acknowledged sovereigns of all other British birds. The Falcons, Kite, Hawks, and Buzzards are equally true to nature, and are beautifully grouped in their respective cases. Among the Owls several specimens of the pretty little Scops Owl (Scops giu) were especially noticeable, and a grand Eagle Owl (Bubo ignavus). The Fly-catchers (Muscicapida) were well represented, and a case held several each of the Titmice, the Crested Tit (Parus cristatus) being very conspicuous. Here, too, were at least two specimens of that rare East Norfolk bird, the Bearded Titmouse (Panurus biarmicus), which, however, is not really a Titmouse. Seldom have we seen finer specimens than the case of Wagtails; here Motacilla flava (the Blue-headed Wagtail), which has been said to occur near Hereford, might be carefully studied. Among the Corvida that bird which is seldom seen anywhere, the Cornish Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), was to be found, and near it a fine Corvus cornix (Grey Crow) of which a specimen was procured for the Hereford Museum two years ago from Kentchurch Park. The three Woodpeckers, which were indisputably native, were accompanied by a Continental specimen of the Great Black Woodpecker (Picus martius) concerning which, as a Herefordshire bird, there has been so much controversy. Many looked curiously at it, partly, we may be sure, to familiarise themselves with its appearance should good fortune some day bestow upon them an opportunity of seeing it alive in the county, partly from the factitious interest which attaches to it as the subject of so much incredulity on the part of those who not unreasonably ask for scientific proof of its occurrence in England. Two fine Sand Grouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) betrayed at a glance to an ornithological eye this bird's relationship to the Pigeon. So much has been written on the Sand Grouse since its last irruption into Great Britain in 1888 that nothing here need be said of it. A Capercaillie contrasted well with its smaller relatives, the Black and Red Grouse, while there was an excellent series of the Ptarmigan in summer and winter plumage, and the various shades which are intermediate in this beautiful bird. The Bustards were admirably represented, and the size of the Great Bustard (Otis tarda) caused many to regret its disappearance from the English fauna, if for no other reason because of the interesting feature its presence would create on some such plain as Salisbury or Thetford. The Little and Macqueen's Bustards (0. tetrax and Macqueeni) were also conspicuous. There was only time among the Limicole to notice Cursorius gallicus, the Cream-coloured Courser, a bird now very rarely seen anywhere, and of which the last appearance in England dates as far back as 1870. The Stone-Curlew and the Dotterel were also much admired. The Avocet (Recurvirostra avocetta) must not be forgotten. It also has become a very rare bird in Great Britain, although it used to breed at the mouth of the Trent. Not many ornithologists now living have seen this bird in nature. The Petrels form another family of birds, well represented in the cases at Clungunford, and the Stormy Petrels (Procellaria pelagica) as usual formed the centre of an admiring group of visitors. Opposite the Golden Eagles at the other end of the room is a case of Auks and Puffins, conspicuous above all, being the glory of this collection, a beautifully set-up Great Auk (Alca impennis). This bird, as is well known, has become extinct during the last fifty years, the latest authenticated specimens having been procured at Eldey, near Iceland. The bird before us was obtained from the Continent, and has passed through the hands of several previous owners. The bird itself is not unlike a large specimen of the Common Guillemot, so well known to most people who have been yachting round our coasts. It could not fly, having only rudimentary wings, but was a most expert diver. It is evident that a bird of this size which could only progress in one element had no chance of long surviving the invention of firearms. Like the Dodo, the Great Auk died in the struggle for existence. Remains of it have been found in prehistoric kitchen middens in Caithness and Denmark, and some bones have been picked up in guano deposits on Funk Island, off the coast of Newfoundland. About 71 or 72 specimens of the bird itself yet remain. These are distributed among public and private collections in England and America. It laid one egg only when nesting, and its bite was severe. It never flapped along the surface of the sea but at once dived. It used to abound in Newfoundland, and when seen was a sure indication of land to sailors (see Field, April 3rd, 1875). About 1870 the last public sale, it was believed by the late Dr. Bree, took place of the Great Auk and its egg. The bird was knocked down to Mr. Cook, Oxford Street, for £95, the egg to the late Lord Garvagh for £63. They both came from Mr. Houghton's collection. In 1880 two eggs were sold at Stevens's rooms, one for 102 guineas, the other for 100, Lord Lilford buying both. It is curious to note the advance in the value of an Auk's egg. At present the tendency is ever to increase, and an egg or two would be a valuable property, like a New River share. In 1887 another was sold for 160 guineas to Mr. Field. This egg had belonged to the Rev. H. Burney, who had bought it in 1865 for £33 10s. It was one of four discovered in a long-forgotten dust-covered box in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. Advancing to 1888, a Great Auk's egg was sold at Stevens's for £225. It had been in the last owner's possession since 1851, when he had given £18 for it. It may be roughly estimated that were there another, in good condition, to appear now in a sale-room it would be worth at least £300. Professor Newton estimates that there are 77 skins or mounted birds in existence, and 69 eggs. These facts may be useful and are trustworthy. Mr. Rocke has also a splendid collection of eggs in his cabinets, but time sadly interfered with the pleasure which it would have given bird-lovers had they been able to examine them at leisure. As it was, we noted a typical series of Guillemot eggs, varying from almost pure white to dark green, covered with curious markings. The Great Auk's egg, as the gem of the collection, was equally eagerly inspected. It is whitish with markings somewhat resembling the eggs of the Guillemot on its broad end, and was regarded with much interest by the ornithologists present. Little more need be said of this fine private collection of British birds and their eggs, save to call attention to the beautiful Long-Tailed Duck (Harelda glacialis), and to a specimen of that very rare bird, the RedBreasted Goose (Bernicla ruficollis). Seldom does a bird-lover find so rich a treat provided for him as the contents of this Museum, and many were the grateful acknowledgments made by all those who had the privilege of inspecting the Clungunford stuffed birds and their eggs. But Mrs. Rocke's kindness did not stop here; tea and coffee and light refreshments were provided for all, and most of the visitors availed themselves of these viands, as there was still a long drive in prospect and much hard work in geology to be done before dinner at the Craven Arms. As they left, there was but one feeling of the courtesy and thoughtfulness of their hosts in opening so valuable a collection to the Woolhope and Caradoc Clubs. No better course of instruction in Ornithology can be imagined than a careful inspection of so representative a Museum of British birds and their eggs. |