208 Natural History of Sawley and Eavestone. 
at, and killed, most of the hazel bushes, thereby reducing the 
annual crop of nuts. But there was plenty of other food for 
Squirrels, and we should attribute their decrease to other 
causes, possibly, amongst these, to the increase of the number 
of males in proportion to females, as has been known to be the 
case with the liberated North American Grey Squirrel in this 
country. Rabbits were certainly anything but abundant. 
A huge Badger ‘ earth’ was examined. There was good evid- 
ence to prove that the Water Vole is abundant at Eavestone 
Lake. 
In birds the chief features noticed were three pairs of 
Tufted Duck on Eavestone Lake, and the number of Stock Doves 
evidently nesting in the cliffs surrounding the lake. The 
Nuthatch, a decreasing Yorkshire species, and always worth 
recording, had been noted by Mr. Margerison for several days 
in the vicinity of Risplith House. The Greater-Spotted 
Woodpecker was heard, and a newly-formed nesting-hole appar- 
ently of the Green Woodpecker was noted. Among other 
species seen were the Grey Wagtail, Dipper, Mallard, and a 
single Yellow-hammer (near to Sawley village). The song of 
the Mistle Thrush, or Sto:rmcock, accompanied us throughout 
the day’s excursion, no doubt as appropriately reminding us 
of the weather. Pheasants were numerous, anda nest contain- 
ing sixteen eggs (apparently deserted) was seen. Owing to the 
war, no artificial rearing is to be done this season. 
Perhaps Raven’s Crag overlooking Eavestone Lake is worthy 
of passing note. It is reported to be an ancient nesting haunt 
of the Raven. Mr. Ingleby informed us that it was stated 
when he was a boy that Ravens bred there annually, until a 
local farmer, who had lost some lambs, offered £1 to anyone who 
would destroy them. In his opinion this would refer to the 
beginning of the nineteenth century, since when, he was 
certain that they had not bred there, on the evidence of old 
men when he was still a youth. For the date of this excursion, 
summer migratory birds were extremely scarce, no doubt owing 
to the cold unseasonable weather. Two or three Willow 
Warblers, a few Swallows, and a Wheatear completed the list. 
In the lower vertebrates there was nothing noted of import- 
ance. Trout were much in evidence in the streams, and ‘ rising ’ 
in the Eavestone Lake, and the Toad was common in the lake 
in Picking Gill. 
(To be continued). 
> 0 i—— 
We learn from the daily press that ‘ornithologists will be interested 
in the case of the man who, charged at Marylebone with stealing a parrot, 
said that he took it for a lark.’ 
We presume the controversy in reference to the Piltdown skull is now 
at an end. We notice that Dr. A. Smith Woodward and Dr. Keith are 
both ‘hung’ in the Academy this year. 
Naturalist, 
