(as at February 2006)

The refereeing service is intended to provide assistance to members who have genuine difficulty in naming their UK collections. It is not intended as a 'free-for-all' identification facility, least of all for bulk collections. Please therefore respect the following guidelines when submitting material.

• If possible, avoid sending large quantities at any one time. Do not send material if you are not prepared to examine it yourself in advance.
• Please ensure that fragile specimens are adequately protected in the post. This applies particularly to material with lumps of soil attached. It is dispiriting to open a packet and find nothing but a pile of dust inside! Small boxes or tins are ideal for protection from crushing.
• Please label all packets clearly with full collection details, including habitat, locality, altitude and at least a 10 km grid reference.
• Always enclose a stamped addressed envelope (or label), even if material is sent to universities or institutions. Otherwise you may not receive a reply.

The General Referee will help beginners who are having difficulty in placing their material in a genus. If you encounter any other problems send it to the appropriate Recorder - Mr Tim Blackstock for hepatics (Countryside Council for Wales, Plas Penrhos, Ffordd Penrhos, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2LQ) or Mr Gordon Rothero for mosses (Stronlonag, Glenmassan, By Dunoon, Argyll, PA23 8RA).

The numbers below refer to genera in A Check-list and Census Catalogue of British and Irish Bryophytes by T.L. Blockeel & D.G. Long (1998).

General Referee:

H.W. Matcham, 21 Temple Bar, Strettington, nr. Chichester, W. Sussex, PO18 0LB

Hepatic Referees:

1, 64-69, 75-82: Dr M.E. Newton , c/o Department of Botany, Liverpool Museum , William Brown Street , Liverpool , L3 8EN . (All mail to be marked ‘Private’).
2-5, 9, 11-17, 52: T.H. Blackstock, Countryside Council for Wales, Plas Penrhos, Ffordd Penrhos, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2LQ.
6-8, 10, 18, 19, 32, 36-38, 50, 51, 53, 83-86: D.G. Long, Royal Botanic Garden , Inverleith Row, Edinburgh , EH3 5LR .
20-29, 39, 45, 46: S.D.S. Bosanquet, Dingestow Court , Monmouth, Monmouthshire , NP25 4DY .
30, 31, 33-35, 47-49, 70-74: G.P. Rothero, Stronlonag, Glenmassan, By Dunoon, Argyll , PA23 8RA .
40-44, 54-63: N.G. Hodgetts, 55 Norton Street , Grantham, Lincs , NG31 6BX

Moss Referees:

1-10, 156-160: Dr M.O. Hill, CEH Monks Wood, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon , PE28 2LS .
11-33: G.P. Rothero, Stronlonag, Glenmassan, By Dunoon, Argyll , PA23 8RA .
34, 35, 67-70, 187-195: Dr A.J.E. Smith, 5 Queens Gardens , Craig-y-Don, Llandudno, Conwy , LL30 1RU .
36, 71-89, 104-111: N.G. Hodgetts, 55 Norton Street , Grantham, Lincs , NG31 6BX .
37-66: Dr D.F. Chamberlain, Royal Botanic Garden , Inverleith Row, Edinburgh , EH3 5LR .
68: S.D.S. Bosanquet, Dingestow Court , Monmouth, Monmouthshire , NP25 4DY .
90-98, 112, 175-186: Dr D.T. Holyoak, 8 Edward Street , Tuckingmill, Camborne, Cornwall , TR14 8PA .
99-103: A. Orange, Department of Biodiversity & Systematic Biology, National Museum & Gallery Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF1 3NP.
113-146: R.D. Porley, English Nature, Foxhold House, Crookham Common, Thatcham, Berkshire , RG15 8EL .
147-155, 161-174: T.L. Blockeel, 9 Ashfurlong Close, Dore, Sheffield , S17 3NN .