FIELD NOTES. 239 
A Plague of Caterpillars.—With reference to the 
press reports of the devastation caused by caterpillars to the 
oak trees at Ashtead, three or four years since a similar occur- 
rence took place in the oak trees in Richmond Park. The 
denudation of the trees was so severe that in the spring of 
1913 H.M. Office of Works consulted Mr. Maxwell Lefroy of 
the Royal College of Science, with a view to stamping out the 
pest. Eventually it was decided to spray the trees with 
chromate of lead at such a time that the young caterpillars, 
on hatching out, should have only poiscned food. | The spray- 
ing operations were carried out by portable high pressure 
pumping apparatus lent by myself, self-supporting telescopic 
ladders being provided to reach the tree tops some 40 feet from 
the ground. This was, I believe, the first occasion on which 
attempts were made to spray such large trees, and there is 
not much doubt that the oaks at Ashtead could be treated 
in a similar manner It is now too late in the season to take 
preventive measures, but if spraying were undertaken early 
next May I have not much doubt that the pest could be eradi- 
cated.—J. CompToN MERRYWEATHER, 4, Whitehall Court, S.W. 
Bird Notes from Whitby.—From the middle to the end 
of November a Velvet-Scoter came into the inner harbour at 
Whitby to feed, almost daily. Two immature Shags appeared 
toward the end of November, frequenting the harbour through 
the winter. One was picked up dead on the beach on Feb. 5th, 
and one remained until March 25th. On Dec. 15th, a Grey 
Phalarope was observed in the harbour. It consorted daily 
with the Black-headed Gulls for about a week, after which it 
disappeared. The lively manners of this interesting little bird 
attracted considerable attention. Towards the close of Jan- 
uary, a Rough-legged Buzzard—in the usual immature plumage 
—was shot a few miles from Whitby. The Purple Sandpiper 
has been noticed here since the latter part of January. A 
small party has been frequently seen feeding on the rocks at 
the mouth of the harbour, and on the pier extension; last 
seen on April 8th. An immature Glaucous Gull, which has 
been seen about the harbour since the early part of October, 
was last noticed on April 18th. It usually kept apart from the 
other gulls. The Little Auk was observed in November, 
and two were picked up dead on the beach in January. 
The following are the earliest dates :—April 4th, Wheatear ; 
6th, Chiff-chaff; 17th, Sandpiper; 20th, Blackcap; 22nd, 
Swallow, Willow-wren ; 25th, Cuckoo, Sand Martin, Redstart ; 
26th Martin; 28th, Sedge-warbler, Landrail; 30th, Sand- 
Martin. May ist, Whitethroat, Whinchat, Swift ; 4th, Wood- 
wren; 5th, Pied Flycatcher; 8th, Grasshopper-warbler ; 
toth, Garden-warbler, Tree-pipit ; 15th, Spotted Flycatcher.— 
F. SNowpon, Whitby. 
1916 July 1: 
