2 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



Our indigenous birds however seem to be of a strictly resident 

 turn, frequenting as a rule the vicinity of their chosen haunts, 

 except in very severe seasons, when they are compelled to 

 migrate southward. In the exceptional winters of 1878-79 

 and 1879-80, their numbers were very materially reduced, 

 and for the following year or two their diminished ranks 

 were the theme of many notes. They quickly recovered, 

 however, and in two or three years' time were again plentiful. 

 Again in 1894-95 they perished in thousands, and were almost 

 exterminated in the East Riding> Now they are quite as 

 numerous as ever. 



This bird nests in a variety of situations, being equally 

 at home and well-known in the more secluded gardens around 

 our large towns, in orchards and woodlands, in the alders 

 bordering our upland streams, in the fir plantations which 

 so frequently fringe the moors, while in some instances nests 

 have been found on the very moorlands themselves, occupying 

 a place in a stone fence {Nat. 1888, p. 264, and 1889, p. 52). 

 In May 1903, Mr, James Backhouse noted a nest on Penyghent 

 at 1350 feet elevation, and on the 14th of the same month, 

 Mr. H. Lazenby reported one on the ground on a Wensley- 

 dale fell side ; on 6th April 1897, I saw one containing three 

 eggs, in a low branch of a holly tree at Potto Grange, in 

 Cleveland, within five feet of the ground ; in 1903 a nest» 

 with young, was found in a standard plum tree in the Harrogate 

 Hydro gardens, four feet from the ground ; several were 

 seen in that locality, and also at Beverley, in even lower 

 situations, some being at no greater elevation than two feet. 

 The species is certainly double brooded, and, in an orchard 

 at Beverley, the same nest has been used for both broods ; 

 in the last week of March 1871, an old bird was found sitting 

 on four eggs, which hatched early in April, and on the 19th 

 of May the nest again contained four more young birds. 

 The earliest nest known to me had eggs in the first week of 

 March, though at Beverley a hen bird was sitting on eggs on 

 27th February 1903. 



The gizzards of young birds examined by Mr. Ge«rge 



