YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS’ UNION. 
MEETINGS OF THE VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY SECTION. 
Two meetings were held at the Leeds Institute on November 19th, Pro- 
fessor G. J. Patten, M.A., M.D., Sc.D., the President of the Section, being 
in the chair. About forty members and associates were present in the 
afternoon, and sixty at the evening meeting. 
Mr. Arthur Whitaker exhibited and described specimens of all the 
species of Yorkshire Bats, together with the Barbastelle from Cambridge, 
and the Greater Horse-shoe and Serotine Bats from the south of E ngland. 
These represent all the known British species, excepting the extremely 
rare Bechstein’s Bat. 
Comparing an extremely large female Long-eared Bat from Christ- 
church, Hants., with the much smaller and darker Yorkshire specimens, 
Mr. Whitaker suggested there might be almost sub-specific differences— 
as all the Hampshire Long-eared Bats that he had seen were considerably 
larger and much greyer in colour than their Yorkshire representatives. 
Mr. Oxley Grabham described and shewed by the lantern, a charming 
series of photographic pictures, which he had taken during 1910, chiefly 
in the North Riding. These included Nightjars in all stages of breeding — 
an instance being recorded where a most reliable gamekeeper had marked 
a pair of Nightjars’ eggs which were removed half-a-mile away by the 
birds, and incubation continued. Mr. Grabham also pointed out how the 
Nightjar always shuffled backwards on to its eggs. A series of the Stone 
Curlew shewed the way the bird gradually lined its nest with small pebbles, 
etc., aftey the eggs were laid, and during incubation. A Corncrake was 
shewn feigning death when wounded ; and, as the result of floods on their 
nesting grounds, deserted Lapwing’s eggs were firmly embedded in the 
mud, and young Lapwings killed by the quantity of mud adhering to their 
legs. A Viper which was endeavouring to swallow a Curlew chick, was 
illustrated, as well as a beautiful series of Great Crested Grebes (birds, 
nests and eggs) taken on the lake at Castle Howard, where three pairs 
nested last season. There were numerous slides of Woodcock and Golden 
Plover, at and upon their nests. Pisces were represented by freshly: 
caught Garfish and Tope taken by the lecturer. On behalf of Mr. W. J. 
Clarke, fine slides were exhibited of the two large Common Rorquals, 
which had been stranded near Scarborough in t910. Mr. Grabham also. 
shewed some amusing pictures of the futile attempts of a liberated Barbary 
Dove to incubate a Peafowl’s egg on the top of the wall of St. Mary’s 
Abbey, in the grounds of the Museum at York. 
Mr. Riley Fortune dealt in detail with ‘ The Life History of the Gannet.’ 
He pointed out most of the chief phases in its nesting economy and life 
history, and illustrated his remarks with excellent limelight pictures of 
the different stages of the bird’s life, chiefly on the Bass Rock, which is 
probably the oldest known breeding place of this species, and from which 
its specific name was derived. Besides his own notes and personal obser- 
vations, Mr. Fortune acknowledged indebtedness to Mr. Campbell, the 
head keeper of the Bass Light, and also to Mr. J. H. Gurney, who is at 
present preparing a monograph of this species. The Gannet, or Solan 
Goose, has closed nostrils, practically no tongue, and its body is covered 
with sub-cutaneous air-cells which communicate directly with the lungs. 
These air-cells can be filled or emptied at pleasure, and are supposed to 
act as an air-cushion to break the bird’s impact with the water when diving 
from a great height for food. The bird weighs about 8% lbs., and has an 
expanse of wings of about 6 feet. The breeding colonies were all enu- 
merated. They are not numerous, but at most of them vast numbers of 
the birds congregate to nest. The situation and the composition of the 
nests were explained, and the birds were described as even greater thieves 
than Rooks in stealing building material from each others nests. <A 
single egg is laid, but should this be taken, the birds will lay a second— 
1gi1 Jan. 1. 
