THE GABBLE RATCHET. 169 



customei'j who presented his hard horny beak at the entrance^ and kept his 

 position most manfully. ' Tired with this skirmishing, they flew off, but pre- 

 sently returned with a strong force of comrades. The attack again commenced, 

 and the Sparrow was at last dislodged, but not until the nest was partly 

 demolished. It was again repaired, but from some unknown reason the 

 Martins forsook it. 



The Sparrow again took possession, accompanied by a mate; their noisy 

 proceedings led to another scrape. The hen was shot, and the old cock 

 narrowly escaped the same fate. In the course of a few days he forgot his 

 sorrow, picked up another mate, and once more determined to try his luck 

 at the old quarters. "Fortune favours the brave," such gallantry had won 

 him some compassion; he once more enjoyed his airy lodgings unmolested, and 

 turned out a numerous brood in safety. The nest is again occupied; we are 

 daily looking for the Martins' arrival, and quite expect our noisy friends will 

 meet with a warm reception. 



Leeds, April \^th., 1852. 



THE GABBLE RATCHET. 



BY JOHN DIXOK, ESQ. 



Many of our country friends, when out late on a still dark evening, mjty 

 have often been startled at hearing a singular noise overhead, produced by 

 some invisible agency. It is heard all the year round, most frequently in 

 shady lanes and by the sides of plantations; the gloomy character of which 

 at such times tends to conjure up ideas not the most soothing. It is un- 

 questionably produced by some bird on the wing, and much resembles the 

 shrill sharp cry often uttered- by the Lapwing towards nightfall. The country 

 folks in the north of Yorkshire call it the Gabble Ratchet, and very readily 

 class it amongst the supernatural; gravely telling of its being the soul of an 

 unbaptized child, doomed to flit about after nightfall, for the purpose of 

 frichtening a host of silly rustics and superstitious old women, who always 

 prophesy some bad luck attendant on hearing it. 



Gilbert White, in his "Natural History of Selborne," writes "Those that 

 are much abroad on evenings after it is dark, in sprincf and summer, fre- 

 quently hear a nocturnal bird passing by on the wing, and repeating often a 

 short quick note. This bird I have remarked myself, but could never make 

 it out till lately. I am assured now that it is the Stone Curlew." If the 

 noise mentioned by White, be similar to the Gabble Ratchet, it cannot be 

 produced by the Stone Curlew, a migratory bird quite unknown in this 

 district. Many suppose the Goatsucker produces it; but the fact of its being 

 heard in the depth of winter, shatters that supposition. It is a curious 

 mystified subject, worthy of attention, and probably some of your many 

 readers may be enabled to throw more light upon it. 



Leeds, April Ihth., 18r>2. 



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