502 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



Staveley ; two were killed at Staveley Bridge ; one was 

 noted near Huddersfield, and a pair in the Settle district. 

 On 14th February in the following year (1889), a female 

 example was shot, from a flock of seven, by a fisherman at 

 the South Gare Breakwater ; the next day another was killed 

 at the same place, and a male bird was picked up dead, whilst 

 in January a female was found dead near York. 



It is an ascertained fact that some of these interesting 

 birds nested in East Yorkshire, two clutches, consisting of 

 two eggs each, being reported near Beverley. The first was 

 discovered on 15th June 1888, on Newbald Lodge Farm, by 

 Joseph Long, rabbiter, whilst the other was found by the late 

 Johnson Swailes, laid on the bare ground at High Gardham, 

 on 5th July in the same year. These specimens are now 

 in the possession of Mr. T. Audas.* 



The individuals examined in winter or in the year following 

 their arrival were much darker in plumage than those first 

 obtained ; two males killed on 21st December 1888, at Hollym, 

 in Holderness, scaled eleven and twelve ounces respectively. 

 The heaviest specimen I weighed was ten ounces. 



The crops of those killed generally contained seeds of 

 weeds, although two specimens, taken near Redcar in winter, 

 had been feeding on wheat and buckwheat, as also had some 

 other examples that were killed near Spurn, where a grain- 

 laden vessel had been wrecked. 



It is quite possible, indeed almost certain, that many of 

 the flights were recorded more than once, by different observers, 

 but again there can be no doubt that fresh arrivals continued 

 to cross the sea, and this renders the task of estimating the 

 numbers chronicled extremely difficult. I have, however, 

 after making due allowances for the circumstances mentioned, 

 arrived at the following figures, which are taken to be the 

 lowest possible estimate of the numbers seen and obtained 

 in the three Ridings, according to the information available. 



* A beautiful coloured plate of these specimens, with a brief descrip- 

 tion by Mr. T. Sheppard, appears in the Transactions of the Hull 

 Scientific and Field Naturalists' Club, Vol. III. pt. 4, for 1906. — Ed. 



