260 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vi. 



the species are little more than enumerated and therefore 

 hardly call for notice ; mention, however, may be made of the 

 reported breeding of the Twite at Skipwith, of ^hich perhaps 

 further evidence would be acceptable, and we note \\ith 

 ]ileasure the recent increase of the Great Spotted \\V)od])ecker. 

 Recent attempts at the introduction of the Black and Red 

 Grouse are stated to be more or less failures, but are to be 

 persevered with. Turning to the wildfowl. Swans, both 

 Whoopers and Bewick's, have been obtained, the former 

 frequently ; the most numerous of the Geese are the White- 

 fronted and Pink-footed, the Bean is rarer, while the Brent 

 and Barnacle are both obtained occasionally. Nearly all 

 the Ducks on the British List are included and one or two 

 call for special mention. Several Gadwall are said to have 

 been shot, but notes on two only can be traced that are 

 additional to those mentioned in the Birds of Yorkshire, \dz, 

 one shot at East Cottingwith on December 18th, 1867, and 

 the other at the same place on January 27th, 1869. Mr. 

 Nelson was only able to give two records of the breeding of 

 the Shoveler in this district, an old one and one on Skipwith 

 Common in 1900, but in the present book it is stated that it 

 now breeds at this place regularly, five or six paiis doing 

 so in 1911. The inclusion of the Garganey as a ivinfcr-\isitor 

 is evidently a sHp. No less than five individuals of the 

 Harlequin-Duck are included, of which three are said to have 

 been shot by the old fowler in April, 1860 ; a good deal of 

 their history is narrated, but all seem now to have disappeared. 

 This is unfortunate, as there is no e\idence given that they 

 were identified by anyone but the shooter, and although he 

 was no doubt competent to judge the identity of a good 

 number of species, still with one like the Harlecfuin. where 

 mistakes have so often been made, we feel that it would 

 hardly be wise to accept these records -without further 

 corroboration. It is also recorded that he shot a Courser at 

 East Cottingwith about 1860, which if correctly identified 

 is an additional Yorkshire record, as are also five Black- 

 winged Stilts shot at the same place on April 2nd, September 

 .SOth, and October 2nd, 1860. In the latter case the records 

 may without much doubt be accepted. The record of a 

 Dotterel shot at the end of February is imusual, and we 

 should question the correct identification where it is stated 

 that small flocks of Kittiwake are frequently mistaken and 

 shot for duck in the twilight. The record of a Slavonian 

 Grebe obtained at East Cottingwith on February 10th. 1912, 

 may also be mentioned. N.F.T. 



