88 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



was reported from Spurn on August i4th, though it is possible 

 it may be confused with the Willow Wren by the light-keepers. 



The Wood Wren is sometimes accused of stealing fruit, 

 and was observed by Mr. J. Ranson coming into his garden 

 at Linton-on-Ouse for the purpose of tasting the cherries 

 and currants. 



Local names : Wood Wren is general ; Yellow Wren 

 is used at Linton-on-Ouse (J. Ranson, 1864) > other names 

 are Yellow Warbler and Twittering Wren ; Small Straw is 

 in use at Huddersfield, in the Nidd Valley, and other parts 

 of the West Riding, and Hay-bird is given as a West Riding 

 name by Swainson. In some districts, as at Sedbergh, it is, 

 together with the Willow Warbler and Chiff Chaff, known 

 as Miller's Thumb. 



ICTERINE WARBLER. 

 Hypolais icterina ( Vieillot), 



Extremely rare summer visitant from Continental Europe. 



The Icterine Warbler nests in Central and Northern Europe, 

 being very abundant in north-east France ; it occurs regularly 

 in the Baltic Provinces and as far north as the Arctic Circle 

 in Norway, while to the eastward the Ural Valley is its limit. 

 In winter it migrates as far as 25 south latitude. 



There are but eight instances of its capture chronicled 

 within the British Islands, one of these being at Easington, 

 near Spurn, as mentioned by the late J. Cordeaux, who 

 informed me that Mr. P. Loten of Easington sent him an 

 adult male example which had been killed with a catapult, 

 and was brought in by some boys, on 28th May 1891. Mr. 

 Loten skinned it, thinking it might be a Wood Wren, but 

 with grave doubts on the subject. The specimen was after- 

 wards sent to Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, and was purchased for the 

 Royal Scottish Museum. (Zool. 1891, p. 308 ; Nat. 1891, 

 p. 241 ; 1897, p. 201.) 



