330 - teld Notes. 
speak far more forcibly than can anything else of the great 
work which Mr. Mortimer accomplished. 
Probably no one in England has done so much for the 
elucidation of the pre-historic antiquities of his district as has 
Mr. Mortimer. No one has worked so well, so thoroughly, 
and so exhaustively ; and certainly no one has so carefully 
preserved the records that were obtained. 
Unquestionably Mr. Mortimer’s worth will be much more 
appreciated in the future even than it is to-day. Few, very 
few, yet realize the extreme value and importance of his col- 
lections. 
In Mr. Mortimer I have lost the oldest, kindest, and most 
unassuming of my scientific friends; and, with very many 
others, I shall miss the fine tall figure which for over half a 
century has been so well known in all parts of East York- 
shire.—T. S. 
Ol 
FIELD NOTES. 
MAMMALS, 
Curious Food for a Ferret.—We were recently ferreting 
in the garden here for rats, and had put a ferret into a hole 
under a fallen tree. The ferret got hold of something, and on 
being pulled out was found to be devouring a huge brown slug, 
which it was with difficulty made to drop. The moment it 
was released, it dashed at the remains again, with apparently 
the keenest relish, and speedily finished them.—C. Asu, Saxton 
Vicarage, Tadcaster. 
—:0 i— 
BIRDS. 
The Golden Oriole in Yorkshire.—On Sunday, the gth 
of July, a friend and I observed a male Golden Oriole, at a 
distance of ten yards, at Hackness near Scarborough.—S. 
CROOK, Scarborough. 
Instances of Late Nesting near Scarborough.—On 
August 6th, on Mr. W. Gibson’s land at Thorne Park, Hack- 
ness, I found a young Snipe, unfledged; and on August. 14th 
I found young Swifts still in the nest, also a Swallow’s nest 
with one fresh egg, all at Hackness.—STANLEY CROOK. 
The Decrease in Whinchats and Redstarts.— Referring 
to Mr. R. Fortune’s remarks (ante p. 298), the decrease of the 
Whinchat during the last few years has been general in this 
part of the country. The following records were made on two. 
excursions of the Bradford Natural History Society to Winter- 
burn Reservoir, near Gargrave, in the years 1907 and IgII. 
“1907, May 25th—Whinchats extremely abundant, between 
Naturalist ~ 
