3i8 Field Notes. 



in July, 1919, several days on the Fame, but did not hear 

 about any Fulmars that season. — R. Fortune. 



Short Eared Owl and Crossbill in the West Riding. — 



In the latter half of May of this year, while out in search of 

 a Merlin's eyrie on the moors of the Skipton district, together 

 with the Rev. Tomlinson and a gamekeeper, I had the good 

 fortune to put up a Short Eared Owl from its nest. It contained 

 only two young, one recently hatched, the other probably a 

 fortnight old. The nest consisted merely of a capacious 

 scrape in the ground under an isolated clump of aged ling 

 outflanking quite an extensive bed of this plant. It contained, 

 in addition to the young, three recently killed mice. The 

 old bird behaved in an unusual manner for this species, and 

 flapped lazily off over the opposite hillside, and we saw no 

 more of her. Owing to rain I did not have my camera with 

 me, and hence made a return trip two days later, this time in 

 company with the keeper only. To our disappointment the 

 nest was empty. This time, at all events, by shifting its 

 young, the bird ha.d lived up to the reputation of its kind. We 

 searched for an hour in hopes of finding the new site, but with- 

 out luck. Owing to the lengthy walk involved we did not 

 repeat the attempt. But the day was by no means wasted, 

 for en route for the owl, we had to skirt a large coniferous 

 wood. Half-way along it, up the fell-side, I heard a familiar 

 Canadian birdnote. I was so surprised that it took me some 

 moments to place it — Crossbill. I promptly called a halt, 

 and together we waited for a glimpse of the bird. In a few 

 minutes we were rewarded with a magnificent view, at but a 

 few yards distance, of a fine male in full red plumage, doing 

 gymnastics in characteristic fashion round some cones on a 

 projecting branch. We had intentions of hunting for a possible 

 nest on our return, but thunder and heavy hail unfortunately 

 prevented this. — Wm. Rowan. 



— : o : — 

 MAMMALS. 

 Food of the Wild Rabbit. — A wild rabbit at large in 

 Newsome Allotments has developed a rather unusual diet. 

 Succulent vegetables are abundant, but so far, much to the 

 disgust of the lover of flowers, it has preferred to commit 

 havoc amongst Stocks and Asters, and, in my plot, it has 

 dwarfed considerably Clarkia, Phlox druimnondi and seedling 

 pinks.— W. E. L. Wattam. 



Margaret W. Rea writes on ' Stomata and Hydathodes in Campanula 

 rolundifolia L., in their relation to environment ; Margaret Benson writes 

 on ' The Grouping of Vascular Plants," and W. Stiles on ' Permeability,' 

 in The New Fhytologist for June 30th. 



Naturalist 



