426 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



hard winters near Doncaster ; it is obtained occasionally near York, 

 and occurs in the same localities as the preceding near Huddersfield, 

 and is rare in the vicinity of Leeds. A. Strickland says this is not 

 uncommonly met with in winter both at the sea side and inland, but 

 never abundantly now in this country. 



This, the smallest of the British Geese, is a winter visitant 

 to the coast line, and was formerly very common in the 

 estuaries of the Humber and Tees, where large quantities 

 were killed by the professional fowlers. In Willughby's 

 time we are told that the Tees gunners exacted heavy toll 

 from their ranks, and from the diary of an old wildfowler, 

 whom I have often seen at work, I find that in the season of 

 1869 his bag of " Rhode Geese " amounted to sixty-five. 

 At the present time it is not met with in the immense flocks 

 which might have been seen in the first half of last century, 

 though in some seasons it is fairly abundant if severe weather 

 prevails about Christmastide. In January and February 

 1879 it was very numerous at the Teesmouth, as also in 

 February and March 1886, and in the winter of 1890-91 it 

 was abundant in the Humber. Odd stragglers occasionally 

 appear in September ; I saw one as early as the i4th of that 

 month in 1879, and in 1877 one was observed on the 22nd, 

 but, as a rule, the main body does not arrive till after Christmas. 

 The flocks remain off the coast until March and then depart 

 on their journey northward, some lingering until May or 

 even as late as June, and in the first week of that month 

 in 1900 a flock of seventeen was noticed at the Teesmouth. 

 During the prevalence of a severe northerly gale on 22nd 

 December 1894, large numbers of Brent, unable to remain 

 at sea, were driven ashore and took refuge on Coatham sands. 

 At most of the Yorkshire coast stations this species occurs 

 sparingly, generally in severe weather. 



Though essentially a bird of the tidal waters, the Brent 

 is sometimes found inland ; it is mentioned in Fothergill's 

 list in Whitaker's " Richmondshire " (1823), an d nas been 

 reported from the neighbourhood of Sheffield, Huddersfield, 

 Wakefield, Leeds, the Wharfe and Nidd Valleys, and Fewston 

 Reservoir, in the West Riding, while the late Hugh Reid 



