48 Yorkshire Naturalists' Union : Annual Report, 1909. 



Reference should here be made to Prof. Garstang's excellent 

 paper on ' The Scarcity of the Plaice,' in " The Naturalist " for 

 December. 



Reptiles, etc. — No particular records are to hand, with the 

 exception of the capture of a Grass Snake, 26 inches long, in a 

 quarry at Southowram, in July. Around Hull they are very- 

 numerous. 



The following were elected for 1910 : — 

 Chairman — A. Whitaker, Barnsley. 



Convener — W. Denison Roebuck, 259 Hyde Park Road, Leeds. 

 Representative on Executive — A. Whitaker, Barnsley. 

 Representative on Committee of Suggestions — A Whitaker,. 



Barnsley. 

 Other Members — H. B. Booth, Ben Rhydding ; R. Fortune, 

 Harrogate; Oxley Grabham, York ; F. Lawton, 

 Skelmanthorpe. 



Wild Birds' and Eggs' Protection Committee's Report.— Mr. 



R. Fortune writes : — The amount received in subscriptions for 

 1909 is somewhat less than in 1908. It is disappointing to find 

 that the Committee has met with so small a measure of support 

 from the Natural History Societies in the county. 



The amoimt of subscriptions received is £21 2S. 6d. ; this, 

 together with the balance left over from 1908, amounts to £53 

 13s. 7d. The expenses have been £^2 13s., thus leaving a balance 

 of £2\ OS. yd. for the work of 1910. It will be seen that the 

 expenses have been considerably more than the income for 1908, 



The season at Spurn was a late one, and at the usual time for 

 our watcher ceasing his work, there were a lot of helpless young 

 Terns about ; it was therefore decided to retain his services for a 

 fortnight longer, in order that the birds might get strong on the 

 wing. A very successful nesting season has been experienced 

 at Spurn, and there has been a considerable increase in the number 

 of Terns nesting there. The Oystercatcher nested on the Humber 

 side. Mr. Grabham gave an interesting report of this event in 

 " The Naturalist." The watcher at Hornsea reported a successful 

 season there. He had comparatively little trouble in keeping 

 people away from the nesting grounds. 



The Peregrine nested at Buckton in the ground climbed by 

 Hodgson, and successfully brought off her young. The Stone 

 Curlews also nested successfully in connection with which Mr. 

 Grabham gave an interesting report illustrated by photographs at 

 the joint meeting of the Committtee and the Vertebrate Section. 



Few complaints have been made to the Committee. One 

 case we took up was that of a waiter at the Ben Rhydding 

 Hydro, shooting a Tawny Owl. He was duly fined. The police 

 afterwards took proceedings against him for using a gun without a 

 license ; he was again fined. This so disgusted him that he 

 expressed his determination to leave the country. 



Naturalist^ 



