Birds. 9803 



flying with light and buoyant motion backwards and forwards over the 

 marshes and the fore-shore of the Huraber, and certainly in this extra- 

 ordinary insect year they would have but little difficulty in pi-ocuring 

 an ample meal. As far as I could ascertain, the particular object of 

 their pursuit was confined to one species of fly, the common crane-fly 

 (the " daddy long-legs" of our young days). I never before remember 

 having seen such myriads of these long-legged pests as for a time 

 swarmed on the grass-lands in these marshes : it was almost impossible 

 to place one's foot on the ground without treading on some, and in 

 every direction, and as far up as it was possible to discern, the air 

 literally swarmed with them : from their slow and ungainly flight they 

 fell an easy prey to the gulls, which certainly made good use of the 

 opportunity thus afforded them of obtaining a livelihood. Although 

 not able to compete with the easy, graceful sweeps and rapid 

 turnings of the swallow, they exhibited an uncommon aptitude for this 

 pursuit : sometimes a gull would remain poised for a moment, like a 

 tern, and then descend rapidly for a few feet; now one would as 

 suddenly dash upwards, and often in endeavouring to take a sharp 

 turn, to capture some passing fly, would for a moment lose its 

 balance and topple half over in the act of grasping its prey. These 

 flies continued in the neighbourhood about ten days, when they gradu- 

 ally decreased in number and finall}' disappeared. Millions were daily 

 driven over the banks by the land breeze, to be for ever extinguished 

 in the mud-flats of the Humber. 



Late Partridges. — I knew of a nest of young partridges which came 

 out of the shell on the 1st of September, and got safely away to the 

 shelter of a strong piece of wheat stubble, where I hope at some future 

 time again to make their acquaintance. 



Terns. — Large flocks of terns were seen in the Hiunber during the 

 first week in September. It is seldom we see them in any great 

 number far up the river, unless driven in by stress of weather. Pre- 

 vious to high winds and rain I have known hundreds assemble about 

 the mouth of the Humber. This large collection of terns, as far as I 

 could ascertain, consisted of but two species, the common and lesser 

 terns, in about the proportion of twenty of the former to one of the 

 latter species : two which I procured were the so-called common spe- 

 cies. It is a most unusual circumstance in this neighbourhood to see 

 so many together at one time. 



House Sparrow. — It is extraordinary what a small hole these 

 troublesome birds contrive to insert themselves into for the purpose of 

 nesting. This habit is not, however, in all cases unattended with danger 



