9662 . Birds. 



summer haunts ? I have frequently observed late in spring old male 

 scaups in full plumage on the Humber, but never before so late as the 

 24th of May. 



Swift. — Notices have appeared in the ' Zoologist' remarking on the 

 scarcity of swifts during the summer of 1864 ; Dr. Boulton particularly 

 remarks on their decrease in the neighbourhood of Beverley. I cannot 

 say there is any marked diminution in the number which frequent this 

 district. The old tower of Grimsby Church has long been a favourite 

 nesting-place for swifts, and seldom a day passes, when at home during 

 the summer months, without my seeing some of these birds hawking 

 over the marshes. It is a very curious fact that the swifts should have 

 deserted the ancient town of Beverley, a place apparently so well 

 adapted for their habits. Probably for some cause or other they may 

 have been induced to change their quarters, and after all there may not 

 have been any real decrease in their numbers throughout the country, 

 but only in certain localities. Last year I saw great numbers of swifts 

 when staying for a few weeks at the sea-side, near Bridlington Quay, 

 which place is not more than twenty miles in a straight line from 

 Beverley. These birds might be daily seen from morning till night 

 hawking backwards and forwards over the Esplanade and about Fort 

 Hall. I did not think at the time that the mention of these swifts 

 would have been of sufficient interest to the readers of the ' Zoologist,' 

 or I should have made some attempt to ascertain their numbers. From 

 what I remember, however, there certainly could not have been much 

 less than thirty or forty pairs in this locality, and I recollect very well 

 making the remark that I had never before, in any other place, seen so 

 many swifts together on the wing. 



White Rook. — A white, or rather creamcoloured, rook was taken 

 a few weeks since out of a rookery in this neighbourhood, at Killing- 

 holme Manor. The entire plumage of this bird was cream-colour, the 

 beak and legs yellow. 



Field/are. — 1 saw a considerable flock of fieldfares in this parish on 

 the 2ud of May, and a solitary bird on the 4th. 



Spotted Flycatcher. — A pair of these little birds, which have now 

 for many summers frequented a pear tree trained against the side of 

 my house, did not this year make their appearance before the 24th of 

 May. A friend informs me, however, that a pair of flycatchers, which 

 have for twelve years built in a similar situation against the side of 

 his house, returned to their old haunts on the 4th of May. This is 

 unusually early for them to appear in North Lincolnshire. 



Arrival of Summer Miyranls durimj the Month. — May 2ud, white- 



