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YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS AT YORK. 



F, A. MASON, F.R.M.S., AND W. H. PEARSALL, D.SC. 

 {Coniimied from page Jj/). 



Vertebrate Zoology (S. H. Smith). — The section was officially re- 

 presented by the President (IMr. H. B. Booth), and Mr. S. H. Sniith, 

 President of the Section. At HeslinRton and Tillmire the usual common 

 species of birds were observed. Swallows and the two martins have been 

 exceedingly scarce, and the landrail is rarer than ever before in a district 

 that usually harbours a fair number. Possibly the continued rains and bad 

 weather last year materially helped to reduce this species. The turtle 

 dove now breeds fairly regularly around York, and several pairs have 

 nested here during the summer. There is a marked increase in the 

 numbers of the turtle dove locally, and in my opinion it has extended 

 its range considerably, as, in addition to the place imder review, I have 

 observed it this year at Raskelf, Easingwold, Malton, Pocklington, 

 Aldby Park, Dunnington, Skipwith, and Beningborough. Large numbers 

 of bird castings (pellets of food refuse), ejected from the digestive organs, 

 were picked up on the top of the rabbit warren at Tillmire ; they consisted 

 in every case of husks of oats mixed with small stones, and a few elytra 

 of beetles, many being still wet from recent ejection. A big flock of 

 jackdaws and rooks got up on our approach, and it was concluded they 

 were the responsible parties, and probably driven to an excessive cereal 

 diet because of the scarcity of insect life as the result of the diought. 

 As there are abundant crops of wheat and barley as well as of oats in the 

 vicinity, it would be of interest to know why these birds should prefer 

 the latter. Mr. Booth discovered a little owl that had been killed and 

 thrown down in a field near Fulford ; this, 1 believe, is the nearest record 

 of its occurrence to York — one was obtained at Deighton Grove, about a 

 mile further out from the city (V. J. F. Zimmerman). 



Askham Bog was visited on July 31st, and bird life was con- 

 spicuous chiefly by its absence. Many of the summer visitors have 

 departed, and resident species are well hidden in the primeval thickets 

 of reeds, sallows, and birches. Plenty of ringdoves, stockdoves, moor- 

 hens and magpies were seen, a few whitethroats, sedgewarblers, a 

 bullfinch, sparrowhawk and kestrel, and on the old brickpond some 

 tufted ducks and mallards. Here again swallows and martins were very 

 scarce and landrails were entirely absent. Borings of woodpeckers were 

 seen, and may have been made by both green and great spotted varieties. 



Skipwith Common had been reserved for Bank Holiday IMonday, 

 August 1st, and a full day was devoted to it. The Common is noted for 

 its gullery, but it was too late in the ^^ear to view either adult or young 

 black-headed gulls ; they having all departed to the coast. As a result of 

 the exceptionally dry spring and summer, the visitors had the almost 

 unique experience of walking dry-shod across the site of the gull ponds ; 

 those ponds that still held water had attracted and retained various 

 aquatic birds. Several small parties of herons were seen, and at one time 

 21 herons on the wing together gladdened ornithological eyes ; these 

 birds had most probably been bred at Stillingfleet heronry. Half-a-dozen 

 herring gulls flew leisurely away when disturbed from a patch of ooze, 

 and near by was seen plenty of teal (our smallest British duck), numbers 

 of mallards and wild duck, a pochard, two golden plover, a redshank and 

 several snipe. In the woods we observed some large parties of jays, 

 plenty of ringdoves and stockdoves. The shoveller duck and nightjar 

 were not seen, but both species have bred on the Common this year. 

 The writer caught a glimpse of a bird that might have been a hen harrier, 

 probably companion to one obtained a few miles south-east of Skipwith 

 last February. This bird was also seen by Mr. Wroot, but, unfortunately, 

 the President, Mr. Booth, missed the sight, as he was following a tlock of 



Naturalist 



