SNOW BUNTING. 215 



in the marshes bordering the coast. At the end of March 

 1902, a flock of forty, some of which were adult males in very 

 fine plumage, was feeding in the fishermen's gardens near 

 Redcar on ground newly sown with oats. 



There are several vernacular names : Snow-Flake is a 

 general term, varied dialectically to Snow-Fleck in Nidderdale. 

 In the North Riding it is called French Sparrow ; White Lenny 

 at Loftus and Staithes ; Ower-sea Bird (over-sea-bird) at 

 Redcar ; and Over-the-sea Linnet at Kildale and Roxby. 

 In Arkengarthdale it is called Sleightholme Throstle, doubtless 

 by reason of making its appearance from that direction, N.E. 

 Tawny Bunting, given by Tunstall in 1783, was also formerly 

 used in Cleveland. Mountain Bunting, used by Latham in 

 1822, is probably only a book-name. 



[An adult male example of the White-throated Bunt- 

 ing (Zonatrichia albicollis, Gmelin), a native of North America 

 was observed by the late G. W. Jalland of Holderness 

 House, Hull, feeding on the lawn with other birds, in the 

 beginning of the year 1893. It was afterwards shot on 

 the I3th of February, and was identified as the above 

 species by the late J. Cordeaux (Zool. 1893, p. 149 ; Nat. 

 1893, p. 113). 



This was probably an " escape " from some ship while 

 being conveyed to this country as a cage bird.] 



STARLING. 

 Sturnus vulgaris 



Resident, very abundant, generally distributed. Immense flocks 

 of migrants arrive in autumn, departing in spring. 



The first Yorkshire reference to the Starling is a quotation 

 from Ralph Johnson, of Brignall, near Greta Bridge, con- 

 tained in Willughby's " Ornithology" : 



" The Stare, or Starling, which saith Mr. Johnson I never 



