356 Yorkshire Xufnralisfs at Boioes. 



(Appendix A.) 

 BIRDS AND MAMMALS IN THE BOWES DISTRICT. 



KENNETH MACLEAN. 



A more suitable day for an excursion could not have been 

 selected than August Bank Holiday. The heat of the sun was 

 tempered with a strong breeze ; you could walk without fatigue 

 and rest without fear of catching cold. From a naturalist's 

 point of view an ideal day in an ideal district. 



Down the beautiful Greta Valley it was interesting to watch the 

 numbers of birds, Willow Wrens, Chififchaflfs, Tits, Flycatchers, 

 and many others, all busy destroying the pestilent little gnats 

 which were so freely inserting their poison into different parts 

 of our anatomy. I could not help thinking- how unbearable 

 these beautiful stream-side rambles would be were it not for the 

 enormous appetites and restless energy of those beautiful little 

 feathered friends of mankind. The birds were joined in these 

 gnatting expeditions by many large Dragon Flies. 



Most of the birds seen were such as could be observed in 

 any good day's ramble, but others were noticed which are by no 

 means common. For instance, the Dipper, Green Woodpecker, 

 Pied Flycatcher, Heron, Jay, Kingfisher, and several others can 

 no longer be considered common. 



Quite a colony of House Martins exists in the village of 

 Bowes, and many bright little faces were peeping out of their 

 mud nests. Evidently they were just contemplating exercising 

 for the first time those wonderful wings which, in the course of 

 a few weeks, were to bear them so far away from their native 

 village. 



A family of Pied Flycatchers {Miiscicapa atricapilla) were 

 seen, the young in a very interesting stage of feathering ; many 

 white patches were showing on the back, and on the wing- 

 coverts streaks of yellowish white were observable. 



I was pleased to see so many Corn Buntings {Emberisa 

 mHiaria). This bird is generally called the Common Bunting, 

 and during our walk at Bowes it certainly was the most common 

 of the Bunting family ; but in nine districts out of ten, twenty 

 Yellow Buntings may be seen to one Corn Bunting. 



During the day I saw fifty-four difllerent kinds of birds, and 

 to those I have added six, which I had not seen myself, from 

 Mr. Farrah's list, making in all sixty observed during the excur- 

 sion, as under : — 



Naturalist. 



