38 



THE GARGENY BREEDING IN EAST YORKSHIRE. 



W. H. ST. QUINTIN, F.Z.S., 

 Scampston, E. Yorks. 



It is, I think, worth recording that in May last, an entirely wild 

 pair of Gargeny Teal bred in this parish. The nest was under 

 a wild rose bush, at the edge of a small willow garth, which is 

 bordered by an open drain communicating with the river Der- 

 went less than half a mile away. One of our farmers reported 

 that a small duck was sitting there, and as it was in rather a 

 dangerous place, my keeper lifted the eggs, thinking they were 

 those of a Teal. The duck was flushed, but was not identified 

 at the time. I am unfortunately unable to state the number 

 of eggs, but I believe that there were eight. From these 

 six young were reared, which turned out to be four drakes, and 

 two ducks, and are now on the water here. I have had a single 

 female Gargeny for several seasons, and this spring I provided 

 her with a mate. On May 19th the latter was driven off by 

 a wild drake of the same species, which suddenly appeared. 

 He paired with the pinioned bird, and the alliance resulted in 

 a nest, from which four young were hand reared. On May 27th 

 the wild drake was beginning to go out of colour. By June 

 I2th the pinioned duck was sitting, and her mate had dis- 

 appeared. The wild bred ducklings were considerably older 

 than the tame ones, and no doubt the full-winged drake was 

 the father of the two broods, and when his first mate began to 

 sit, he took to roving, and came across my tame bird, and 

 paired with her. 



♦» 



LEPIDOPTERA. 

 The Death' sjHead Moth at Rydal. — Mr. Hope's notes on 

 the appearance of A. atropos around Carlisle coincide with 

 mine for Rydal. Last year (1908) one was brought to me on 

 October loth, and the year before one on about October 15th. 

 Both had come into houses. — Mary L. Armitt, Rydal. 



— : o : — 

 ZOOPHYTES. 

 Zoophytes in the H umber. — With further reference to 

 my note in ' The Naturalist ' for December, I am now able to 

 add Gonothyrcea hyalina, a species which has been identified 

 for me by Mr. J. Ritchie, of the Edinborough Museum. — 

 J. Thompson, Hull. 



Naturalist, 



