NOTES AND QUERIES. 269 



from these hiding-places that the ducks drag them. I can well understand 

 the case of a fish heing occasionally pulled in two by the operation. Ducks 

 do great harm when allowed free access to Trout-streams. I have watched 

 them frequently, and am quite satisfied that they eat not only Trout, but a 

 great quantity of Trout-food in the shape of mollusca and crustaceans, &c. 

 I shot a Heron at my ponds last autumn, and found on dissection the 

 remains of a rat, but no trace of any fish. Others, however, which I have 

 been reluctantly compelled to shoot, have had Trout in their stomachs. 

 The Waterhen is often seen about the fish-ponds, and I cannot find that it 

 does any harm ; and the Common Sandpiper breeds with us every season. 

 Last year I found the nest in my garden, containing the usual four pyriform 

 eggs. — J. J. Armistead (Solway Fishery, Dumfries). 



White Stork at Scarborough.— It may be worthy of notice that au 

 example of the White Stork, Ciconia alba, occurred near Scarborough on 

 April 8th. When first seen by a man named Cooper, who sent his dog 

 for it, it was floating dead upon the sea near Peasholm. It proved to 

 be a mature bird in good condition and plumage, but had unfortunately 

 lost so many of the dorsal feathers as to render it useless for mounting as 

 a specimen, and when it came under my observation some days later, 

 decomposition was too far advanced to determine the sex by dissection. 

 The wings have been preserved, and the cranium and sternum are being 

 macerated. — R. P. Harper (Scarborough). 



Kestrel nesting in a House. — This spring a pair of Kestrels built a 

 nest in a detached villa near the village of Kellinghall, near Harrogate. 

 They built in a hole under a board which hangs down from the eaves — a 

 most peculiar situation for them to choose. I regret to say that the birds 

 have not fared well, as a neighbouring farmer had them shot, being afraid 

 they would disturb his pigeons. The house is quite near the main road 

 from Harrogate to Ripon, and although it has been built some years has 

 never yet been occupied. — Riley Fortune (Harrogate). 



Food of the Kestrel. — A pair of Kestrels, now breeding in our church- 

 tower, have afforded me au unusually good opportunity of watching their 

 domestic arrangements. I found the nest, or rather three eggs laid in a 

 loophole of the tower, on April 27th, and promptly put a padlock on the 

 belfry-door. By April 30th a fourth egg had been added, and on May 20th 

 the eggs were still unhatched, and one at least seemed to be rotten, so it 

 and another were taken. On May 30th I looked at the nest again, and 

 found the two eggs there. As they had been incubated more than a month, 

 I should certainly have removed them, but luckily a faint squeaking 

 attracted my attention, which proceeded from the eggs. There are now two 

 thriving nestlings, which ought to grow apace, as each parent bird has 

 practically but one nestling to provide for. The castings thrown up and the 



