22 



Yorkshire Naturalists' Union : Annual Report, 191 1. 



The experiment of establishing Bearded Tits at Hornsea has- 

 every prospect of being successful, as at least one pair of birds 

 have nested and reared their young. 



We have again to thank our President for his generosity and 

 services in this matter. He undertook the whole cost and also 

 the superintendence of liberating the birds. 



Our action brought upon the President a most ridiculous 

 tirade from the Editors of " British Birds." The Committee 

 can, however, well afford to ignore any remarks appearing in that 

 obituary record of rare British birds. The fact of their comparing 

 the introduction of Little Owls into this country with that of 

 Bearded Tits, is, in itself, sufficient evidence that their remarks 

 are unworthy of serious attention. * 



The birds at Spurn and Hornsea have done well, and the 

 nesting season has been a good one. At Spurn a party of Red- 

 shanks have nested for the first time. What is no doubt an 

 offshoot of our colony of Lesser Terns, nested to the number of 

 fifteen pairs at a more northern locality. 



The Peregrines at Bempton were well looked after. 



Stone Curlews have nested safely in the localities we have- 

 under, special protection. At the beginning of the year, letters 

 were sent to the owners of other estates where these birds nest, 

 and in every case we were promised that the utmost would be 

 done to give the birds efficient protection. 



We have had the co-operation of the police in several cases 

 where the protection orders had been infringed, and convictions 

 have been obtained in many cases, for capturing Goldfinches, etc. 



Receipts for 1911. 

 Right Hon. Charles G. Milnes Gaskell . . 

 W. H. St. Quintin, Esq. 

 W. J. Beaumont, Esq. 

 Dr. R. S. Bishop . . 

 H. B. Booth, Esq. 

 Oxley Grabham, Esq. 

 Digby Legard, Esq. 

 Claude Leatham, Esq. 

 W. Denison Roebuck, Esq. 

 E. W. Wade, Esq. 

 Johnson Wilkinson, Esq. 

 York Field Naturalists' Society 

 Sidney H. Smith, Esq. . . 



Balance in hand from 1910 



£24 2 6 

 43 7 10 



£6y 10 4 



* See the Naturalist, October, pp. 348-350. 



Naturalist, 



