532 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



of his day that it used to be taken in nets near Bridhngton 

 (cf. Alhs's Report), and in other parts of the East Riding it 

 was considered not uncommon. It still nests irregularly 

 and in limited numbers in several localities, in some years 

 being common, noticeably so in 1832 and 1870, while in other 

 seasons it is scarce, though, compared with its former status, 

 it is gradually decreasing, due in part to high cultivation 

 and the discontinuance of rye growing. Mr. F. Boyes flushed 

 a bird, at two or three feet distance, from a nest containing 

 eleven eggs, in July 1870, on a railway embankment in East 

 Yorkshire ; the nest was in a slight hollow and composed of 

 a few dead grasses, with the eggs laid slovenly, some on top 

 of others. George Fetch, late keeper to Mr. St. Quintin of 

 Scampston, used constantly to hear Quails calling, and they 

 still occasionally nest near there, and are heard in the young 

 corn. The late E. Tindall of Knapton also reported it as 

 nesting in 1876. 



In the West Riding it has bred in several districts of the 

 Western Ainsty, and did so regularly at Newton Kyme up to 

 1830, and at Boston Spa until 1881. Near Brimham Rocks 

 two nests were taken in July 1865 and 1870 {Field, 21st August 

 1880 ; and Zool. 1880, p. 356). Mr. Leonard Gaunt has an 

 egg found on Brayshaw Hill, and has seen several nests at 

 various times in Leeds neighbourhood ; the species also breeds 

 occasionally in Sheffield district. Other localities from which 

 the nest has been reported are Ackworth, in 1891 and 1893 ; 

 Balne Moor, near Snaith, in 1880 ; Selby ; Holdsworth in 

 Ovenden (nest and fourteen eggs) ; Keighley in 1879 (^^ 

 egg being now in the Museum of that town, W. Eagle Clarke, 

 Field, 2ist August 1880) ; and Halifax, in 1878. 



In the North Riding Marmaduke Tunstall, in 1784, wrote 

 of it as being found at Wycliffe-on-Tees, but not frequent 

 (Tunst. MS. p. 82) ; the late Canon Atkinson recorded two 

 broods at Moorsholm-in-Cleveland in 1859 ; several nests 

 have been found near Loftus-in-Cleveland between 1875 

 and 1890 ; the late Afred Roberts stated that he had had 

 young from near Scarborough, whilst Canon Atkinson 

 used repeatedly to hear the birds calling at Danby, where 



