A Precious Area It is a remarkable thing that committees
representing three counties, Oxford, Herts and Bucks, have without consultation come to the same conclusion on one point of preservation. These committees or sub- committees have been sending in their considered views on natural history reserves, and will soon hear how far their recommendations have been accepted. Well, in regard to these three counties, the point specially stressed is the importance of preserving a large sector of the Chiltern Hills as a Scheduled Area. Apart from the ecological importance of parts of the Chilterns, they are changing alarmingly in one respect. The water-table continues.to fall, as is painfully apparent after any dry spell in the disappearance, sometimes the total disappearance, of the rivers that are fed from them. Certain plants—as well perhaps as certain butterflies—are in danger of disappearing, like the rivers, from their favourite marshy habitats ; and it therefore becomes of cardinal import- ance to preserve with great strictness marshy areas that are likely to retain their old character.
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