2O Lincolnshire Notes & Queries. 



Field newspaper, November 28th, 1886, concerning the former 

 nesting of the Hen Harriers in the moors near Market Rasen, 

 are amongst the most valuable contributions to the records of 

 county natural history in recent years. 



Of infinite interest also, as throwing light on the past, 

 would be the account books and records of captures made in 

 the duck-decoys at one period so common in the marsh and 

 fen. We have never met with more than one decoy book, 

 namely, the well-kept register of the Ashby Decoy, near Brigg, 

 worked successfully for so many years by Captain Healey. 



So marvellously abundant were wildfowl before the fens were 

 drained that we are told a flock of wild ducks has been 

 observed passing along from the north and north-east into the 

 east fen, in a continuous stream for eight hours together. 



Our next faunal area is very distinct and well-marked the 

 Chalk Wolds in its greatest length from Barton-on-Humber 

 to Burgh, fifty- two miles, and the greatest breadth near 

 Market Rasen, fourteen miles ; and the highest point of the 

 range, 549 ft., is near Normanby Clump, and this is the 

 highest land in the county. Before the general enclosure at 

 the commencement of the present century the wold was a wild 

 and open region, a rolling upland, more or less intersected by 

 deep valleys. These rounded hills were covered with heather 

 and heaths, coarse rough grasses, like the barren brome, and 

 Aria ctespitosa the tufted hair-grass, the most graceful if the 

 most useless of all, with thousands of acres together of gorse, 

 and ancient thorns in clumps and single. It was a district 

 most admirably fitted to the habits of that noble bird the Great 

 Bustard, and the Stone Curlew, the former probably becoming 

 nearly extinct before the commencement of the century, and 

 the latter still holding its own a few pairs annually nesting, 

 but not now on the wold. 



During the last quarter of the century much good work has 

 been done with Lincolnshire geology, the most important 

 reports being in connection with the extension of the Rhcetic 

 beds, near Gainsborough, by Mr. F. M. Burton, also his 

 examination of these and the Keuper Sandstones in the same 

 district; Professor Judd's paper on the Neocomian strata; 

 Professor Morris on some Oolite sections ; Canon J. E. Cross 

 on Lincolnshire Oolites and Lias ; also Mr. Clement Reid's 

 work in connection with the new Geological Survey amongst 

 the boulder-clays, inter-glacial beds, marine gravels, post glacial 

 beds and alluvium of Northern Lincolnshire. 



