Correspondence, 23/- 



From this type tlie cuckoo's egg here rarely deviates, but a considerable 

 number of years ago I found the nest of a titlark on Marley Brow, near 

 Bingley, which contained two cuckoos' eggs, both of which had evidently 

 been laid by one cuckoo, since, though exactly alike, they were altogether 

 different from any which I have ever seen in this district either before 

 or since. Perhaps this may not be a usual occurrence. I have found 

 several nests of the titlark containing two eggs of the cuckoo, but never 

 could be certain they were both laid by one cuckoo. 



In The Naturalist for i8g8, page 224, Mr. Joseph Armitage records 

 the finding of the nest of a Meadow Pipit containing three eggs of the dupe, 

 and a fourth Pipit's egg lying a few inches from the nest, and also two eggs 

 of the cuckoo, and further states that the two cuckoo's eggs were of exactly the 

 same size, shape and colour and possibly they were deposited in the nest of 

 one bird. 



In The Zoologist for 1878, page 256,, Mr. Arthur Beale states that 

 he once found the nest of a Hedge Sparrow which contained two cuckoo's 

 eggs, ' both apparently laid by one bird, as neither was similar to any other 

 cuckoo's egg I have ever taken, but more resembled the Reed Wagtail's egg 

 in colour.' 



Mr. Pettitt gives the la3'ing period of the cuckoo from the end of May 

 to the end of July, which I take to be very late for any part of England. 

 At any rate his remarks cannot apply to this district, since hereabouts 

 most — I may say nearly all — cuckoo's eggs are laid not much earlier than 

 the middle of May to the end of June. Very few cuckoo's eggs are laid 

 here after July sets in. 



E. P. BuTTERFiELD, Bank House, Wilsden. 



STEETON ROOKERIES NEAR KEIGHLEY : REPORT ON EGG 



COLLECTING, APRIL 191 8. 

 In March I received a circular from the West Riding County Council 

 asking me to try to reduce the number of Rooks, as farmers complained 

 of their doing much damage to crops. Shooting them was suggested, 

 but it is no easy matter to shoot flying Rooks, and the result of a day's 

 shoot on Easter Monday only produced three birds. Someone suggested 

 taking the eggs before they were hatched out, so as a result of a careful 

 two rounds of the nests we got 1,617 ^ggs or young ones from 359 nests. 

 The young ones are from nests that were missed in the first round. 



The task is quite easy for anyone exercising care and accustomed to 

 working up ladders, and I was fortunate in interesting a firm of painters 

 (Messrs. John Holmes & Sons, of Steeton) to do the work. There was no 

 hitch or accident. Our trees are very tall and full grown — Beech, Syca- 

 more, Ash and Elm — and the evenings selected for the work were fine and 

 calm. 



This is one of the largest Rookeries in England, and congregated in 

 hve places within a short distance. 



First collection Second collection 

 Place. begun Ap.gth. begun Ap. igth. Total. 



Nests. Eggs. Voting. Eggs. Young. 



