176 Yorkshiye Naturalists at RiccalL 



per cent, of the number present that was in evidence last breed- 

 ing season. In addition to the usual common species we saw 

 several whinchats, sedge-warblers, and redstarts, all new arrivals, 

 probably only of the previous night. A fine male wigeon was 

 seen by Mr. E. W. Taylor. A pair of these birds has been 

 noticed on the common during two past seasons, but whether 

 they nest or not has still to be discovered. A pair of shoveller 

 ducks was noticed, but may not have nested yet. There are 

 generally five or six pairs frequenting the common. Other 

 nests observed were those of the wild duck containing nine and 

 eleven eggs respectively, and that of a teal with eleven eggs ; a 

 nest of the jay discovered by the writer held the unusual number 

 of seven eggs, four of which were pale blue in colour instead 

 of the usual olive green. 



Phoio by] [S. H Smith. 



Viper on Riccall Common. 



Mr. W. Parkin reported having seen a long-eared owl in 

 one of the woods, and finding remains of hatched eggs of that 

 species. Other species observed were the common, yellow and 

 reed buntings (the males of the latter species being in gorgeous 

 breeding plumage), magpie, coot, moorhen, swift, swallow, 

 and house martin. There were also several nests of redshanks 

 and snipe that contained their full complement of eggs. 



Mr. C. F. Procter reported that he had seen a lesser backed 

 gull ori one of the smaller ponds , and, on wading out to nests 

 of the black headed gulls, which it had been raiding, he found 

 over a dozen clutches disturbed, and many of the eggs destroyed 

 by the marauder. 



Reptiles. — A female viper, measuring twenty-two inches 

 in length was found on a part of the common that had recently 



Naturalist, 



