30 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



casual visitant ; near Harrogate it is very scarce, and the 

 same remark applies to its status at Stavcley and Ripon ; 

 at Selby and at Hatfield it occasionally occurs, and the late 

 J. Cordeaux found a nest on Thorne Waste ; it is also recorded 

 from the neighbourhood of Goole, and is a summer visitant in 

 Ackworth district, breeding in limited numbers. 



In the East Riding it has been more frequently noticed 

 on migration than as a nester, and more particularly on the 

 Spurn promontory and at Flamborough than elsewhere ; 

 it was reported to the late J. Cordeaux as nesting at Kilnsea 

 in 1888 ; it is occasionally met with at Aldborough ; near 

 Beverley it is scarce, the late W. W. Boulton mentioning 

 one instance only of its having come imder his observation, 

 and recent information stating that it was never plentiful 

 and is fast dymg out ; it was always a scarce and local bird 

 and nested only in one or two localities ; at Market Weighton 

 and Bridlington it has only been observed as a straggler, 

 also at Fraisthorpe, but at Flamborough it is resident, though 

 not plentiful, except on the spring and autumn passages ; 

 it has been noticed migrating as early as February, and 

 there was a great rush in May 1891 ; it has been observed 

 in the breeding season on the cliff tops at Reighton, 

 Bempton, and Speeton, and was found by Mr. R. Fortune 

 to be nesting there in June 1905 ; at Knaj^ton it is a scarce 

 breeding bird, and a nest near Pocklington " a few years 

 ago " is reported. 



In the North Riding the Stonechat is alluded to as early 

 as the year 1791, in the Allan MS. of the Tunstall Museum 

 (Fox's " Synopsis," p. 207), where it is described as " Common 



in summer on the heaths ; in winter in the marshes 



Makes nest early, at foot of some low bush." The nest is 

 recorded in recent years at Hackness and Scalby, near Scar- 

 borough, in which locality the bird is rare and oftener met 

 with in winter than in summer ; at Whitby a few odd pairs 

 are scattered along the clififs, and one instance, at least, is 

 on record of its nesting in 1872 near U])gajig ; at Goathland 

 the nest and young have been found near the moors ; it is 



