YORKSHIRE VERTEBRATE FAUNA. xxxix 



way is but an exceptional one, not affecting the faunistic location 

 of the species. 



In addition to the species at the present time regularly breed- 

 ing in the county, others must be mentioned as having formerly 

 nested annually, but which are now entirely banished in con- 

 sequence of persecution, or of the great changes wrought in their 

 former haunts ; and instead of being claimable as members of the 

 two classes which furnish the breeding species, they can now 

 only be ranked as Casual or as Accidental Visitants, of more 

 or less rare occurrence. 



Such species include the Kite, which there can be no doubt 

 was once very abundant, but of whose breeding the information 

 is so meagre that only two actual instances can be cited. The 

 three Harriers, though local, were once fairly abundant, the 

 Hen-Harrier, perhaps, being the least so, though it is now the 

 most frequent as a casual visitant. The Marsh-Harrier, on the 

 contrary, is now one of the rarest, whilst Montagu's Harrier was 

 the most widely distributed and the last to linger on the Yorkshire 

 heaths. The Hobby, earlier in the present century, was regarded 

 as far from uncommon in South Yorkshire, but it is now seldom 

 seen, and only three instances of its breeding in the county can 

 be cited. Although the Bittern was formerly abundant, and 

 doubtless bred in the county, there is no positive record in 

 existence of a nest or eggs having been found. Regarding the 

 Bustard, which formerly had its most northern residence in Britain 

 on the wolds of Eastern Yorkshire, all the information obtainable 

 has been amassed. In this case, a justifiable departure from the 

 general plan of the work has been made, in order to place on 

 record ere it is lost for ever all the information which it is 

 possible to obtain of its former existence. The Shag, though 

 now quite unknown even as a casual breeder, once nested in 

 some abundance on the cliffs at Flamborough. It is satisfactory 

 to have information so interesting on the high authority of Mr. 

 Arthur Strickland. The former breeding of such birds as the 

 Grey-lag Goose, Avocet, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, and Black 

 Tern, is mentioned under the head of the respective species 

 in the catalogue. 



