A HISTORY OF DERBYSHIRE 



with the parent birds from near Derby, taken 

 in 1898, and eggs and young are said to 

 have been taken from the Old Trent near 

 Repton. 



170. Baillon's Crake. Porzana bailloni 



(Vieillot). 



One was killed in November, 1821, within 

 three miles of Derby (Zool. Journ. iii. 493). 



171. Water-rail. Rallus aquaticus, Linn. 

 Not at all uncommon on suitable ground 



in most of the low-lying districts of Derby- 

 shire, especially in the osier beds of the Trent 

 and Dove. Owing to their skulking habits 

 they are seldom seen except during hard frosts. 

 Like the spotted crake they are frequently 

 killed by striking telegraph wires in the dusk. 



172. Moor-hen. Ga llinula chloropus (Linn.). 

 Locally, Waterhen. 



Common on most of our ponds and gently 

 flowing streams, but naturally less abundant 

 on the more rapid waters of the hill country. 

 The nest is sometimes placed at a consider- 

 able height from the ground. One at Cal- 

 wich Abbey was built among the branches of 

 a large chestnut quite 1 6 feet above the water 

 (Zool. 1900, p. 429). I have seen as many 

 as thirteen eggs in one nest, but of course 

 more than one hen may have laid in it. 



173. Coot. Fulica atra, Linn. 

 Locally, Bald-coot. 



Not common ; but breeds locally in south 

 Derbyshire, generally on ponds in the Dove 

 and Trent valleys, such as Bradley, Osmaston, 

 Sudbury, etc. It is not found in the north- 

 west except on the reservoirs at Longdendale. 

 When a coot takes to sucking eggs it is almost 

 as destructive as a rook to nests of waterfowl, 

 and for this reason many are shot or scared 

 away. 



[Crane. Grus communis, Bechstein. 



Glover includes this bird in his list, and 

 adds that it is ' rarely found in the county.' 

 No particulars are given.] 



174. Little Bustard. Otis tetrax, Linn. 



A female shot by Mr. A. N. Mosley on 

 Etwall Common in 1797 is preserved in the 

 Rolleston Hall Museum. For many years 

 this was the only county record, although 

 one was shot not far from the Staffordshire 

 border ; but on May 14, 1901, another hen 

 bird was killed by a farmer on Middleton 

 Top near Youlgreave, and afterwards passed 

 into the possession of Mr. W. Storrs Fox 

 (Zool. 1901, p. 270). 



175. Stone-Curlew. (Edicnemus scolopax (S. 



G. Gmelin). 



Locally, Thick-kneed Bustard (Glover). 

 Glover describes this species as breeding on 

 the moorlands, but there is no further evi- 

 dence in support of the statement, and this 

 part of his notice may possibly refer to the 

 common curlew (Numenius arquata}. One 

 was shot in 1890 near Overton Hall (Birds of 

 Derbyshire, p. 195). 



176. Dotterel. Eudromias mormellus (Linn.). 



Ever since Willughby's time the dotterel 

 has been known to visit north Derbyshire in 

 the spring, remaining sometimes for six weeks 

 or two months, but apparently not breeding. 

 Flocks have been frequently observed on rough 

 pasture near Castleton (Birds of Derbyshire, 

 p. 196), and Mr. Seebohm mentions a trip of 

 nine observed on the Strines Moors during 

 the last week of April, 1871. On the bleak 

 uplands near Taddington four were shot on 

 May 27, 1894 (Zool. 1894, p. 344), and they 

 have been observed here on other occasions. 

 Stragglers have been recorded from Staveley 

 (three in April, 1774), Twyford (Zool. p. 

 2611), the Dove near Tutbury (Nat. Hist, of 

 Tutbury, p. 52), and Derby (Field, May 20, 

 1899). 



177. Ringed Plover. /Egia/itis hiaticola 



(Linn.). 



A tolerably regular visitor on migration in 

 small numbers to the Trent valley (F. B. 

 Whitlock). Individuals have also been re- 

 corded from Derby in February, 1786 (Pil- 

 kington), and also in the winter of 1891-2 

 (G. W. Pullen) ; Ramsley Lodge near Bake- 

 well (W. S. Fox), and on the sewage farm at 

 Egginton where they have been observed on 

 several occasions. 



178. Golden Plover. Charadrius pluvialis, 



Linn. 



A regular breeder on the highest parts of 

 the moors, usually in scattered pairs. To the 

 plains of south Derbyshire it is a common but 

 irregular winter visitor, sometimes in large 

 flocks. Whitlock mentions a dark sooty 

 coloured variety in the possession of Mr. F. 

 Beresford Wright. 



179. Grey Plover. Squat arola helvetica 



(Linn.). 



A scarce winter visitor, having been only 

 twice definitely recorded. One was shot on 

 the sewage farm at Egginton in the winter 

 of 1890 : the other was killed close to Derby 

 early in January, 1893. 



144 



