WRYNECK. 271 



information of its occurrence in the woods at Easby-in- 

 Cleveland ; one was noted at Danby in the breeding season, 

 and another lower down the Esk valley, while, in the extreme 

 north-west of the county, it has been reported from Sedbergh. 



As a rare and occasional visitant on the spring and 

 autumnal migrations, the Wryneck is known on the coast 

 line, and has been announced as having bred near Market 

 Weighton for two or three seasons, where Mr. F. Boyes took an 

 egg from an old pollard willow, the Wrynecks being dis- 

 possessed by Starlings. On the Spurn promontory it has been 

 met with on 25th August 1873 (Zool. 1873, p. 3781), an adult 

 female was procured by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke on 3ist August 

 1886, and at Easington it has occurred once in spring and on 

 two occasions in autumn. In other parts of Holderness, 

 and at Flamborough, it has been reported at these periods 

 as a very rare migrant. In the Scarborough Philosophical 

 Society's Report for 1831, is a record of one taken near the 

 Castle that year. The Whitby Museum possesses a specimen 

 obtained there ; at Redcar a local example was in the collection 

 of the late C. C. Oxley, and one was killed by coming in 

 contact with the telegraph wires at Middlesbrough on 2nd 

 September 1905. 



The bird described by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke at Spurn, 

 in 1886, had been feeding on ants, with which its crop was 

 filled, and amongst the common red species were several 

 Wood Ants quite undigested, proving the bird had just 

 arrived, since this insect does not occur near Spurn. 



The vernacular names are peculiar, and well adapted 

 to the bird's eccentricities. According to Swainson it is 

 called Writhe Neck, Long Tongue or Tongue Bird, Emmet 

 Hunter, Slab, and Cuckoo's Messenger. In 1784 Tunstall 

 called it Cuckoo's Maiden ; while Cuckoo's Mate is a generally 

 known appellation. 



