AN EXCURSION TO BIIOCKERDALE — OBSERVATIONS. 



189 



of Helix lapicida were secured. Mr. Ox\cy fonndu^on the rocks Asplejiium 

 Ruta-iiiuraria, and a single plant of tlie beautiful Helianthemum vulgare ; 

 the latter was also found in another part by Mr. Eoberts. 



The birds, generally speaking, were very mute, but the young larks 

 were in full song, and reminded us forcibly of spring. At times we heard 

 three or four at once carolling gaily in mid-air. 



We left Brockerdale shortly after six, and arrived at Wakefield a little 

 before nine p.m. There we separated, having all of us thoroughly enjoyed 

 our day's excursion, and I have no doubt that when these present days 

 shall become the " days of auld lang syne," many of us will look back with 

 unmixed pleasure upon our day's visit to Brockerdale. 

 Lofthouse, October 1, 1864. 



The History of my Redstarts. — Pre- 

 vious to the year 18G2, a pair of 

 Kedstarts had built and reared young 

 regularly for four or five seasons, 

 in a hole in a shed wall. A pair 

 arrived as usual on the 24th of April, 

 1869. On the 27th the female un. 

 fortunately killed herself by flying 

 violently against a window, from tbe 

 hand of a thoughtless person who 

 had caught it in an outhouse. I 

 watched with anxiety how the male 

 would deport himself after the loss 

 of his mate. I missed him the day 

 after, and supposed he had deserted 

 for ever, but about the eighth day 

 he returned, bringing with him 

 another female. They immediately 

 recommenced the business of nest- 

 ing, and on the 29th of May both 

 birds began taking food to the young. 

 On the 6th of June I lost sight of 



the male, and concluded he had 

 happened some accident ; the female 

 continued feeding the young and 

 was very assiduous. On the 13th 

 the young were nearly fledged ; 

 I saw one sitting on the edge of the 

 hole viewing perhaps for the first 

 time the outer world ; the next day 

 it left the nest, but could not fly, 

 and I caught it and replaced it 

 in its domicile, where it was much 

 safer. The day following, however, 

 I saw it again scrambling on the 

 ground ; no other young ones came 

 from the nest. The parent constant- 

 ly fed and tended it. I observed 

 that she had a peculiarly beseeching 

 way of calling it up from the ground, 

 whenever a cat, (of which unfortu- 

 nately I am pestered with many,) 

 or any other enemy made its ap- 

 pearance. How the young Redstart 

 escaped the jaws of these audacious 

 enemies during the few days that 



