Bolam: The Natural History of Hornsea Mere. 65 
formal coot-drive one day and killed about ninety. The_bird 
has not a good reputation here in respect to other wild-fowl 
and their nests and young. I saw two nests, each with a 
single egg, on 21st April, and another with two eggs; and 
by the end of the month many were incubating on from four 
to seven eggs. In some later nests eggs were more numerous, 
one with eleven being seen, and another with nine. Several 
broods hatched by 12th May, but the majority were about a 
week later, and eggs were still numerous—many of them 
fresh—up to beyond the middle of June. Many nests were. 
washed out and destroyed by floods and the gale on 23rd May. 
Early in July the majority of the adults had lost their quills, 
and were unable to fly, and the noise a flock of them made 
in flapping to the shelter of their reed-beds, on the appearance 
of a boat, was remarkable, and might be well described as 
“a scutter of coots.’ 
STONE CuURLEW.—Taylor has seen an occasional bird in 
former years, and this year I saw one on 2nd May in a field 
of late oats near Heslop’s reeds, and judging from the cries 
after it had disappeared behind the small hill there, it was 
probably not alone. 
RINGED PLOVER.—A pair was seen on Holmes’s promon- 
tory, where there is a shingly beach, on the 11th and r3th 
May, and there was an occasional bird there, and on the south 
side of the Mere, during the next few weeks; but no nests. 
_ PEEwitT.—A pair or two breed in fields adjoining the Mere, 
but they did not arrive and begin to nest till quite late. The first 
were seen on 2nd May, and young were not hatched until June. 
OySTERCATCHER.—One was seen flying over the Mere on 
15th May. 
Woopcockx.—None were seen by me. Last year there was 
one nest at least at Wassand, and possibly two, but none this 
year. Sometimes they are numerous round the Mere in winter. 
SNIPE.—Not known to have bred here and never heard 
drumming. Almost any day, however, from 20th April to 
r1th May, one or two could be flushed from certain parts of 
the Mere side, but there was no appearance of nesting. I saw 
four on 21st April, and two—not together—on 11th May. 
Sometimes the birds were in pairs, but as often not. On 
oth July a single bird was seen flying over the Mere in early 
dawn, the first since 11th May, but no more up to the time I left. 
DuUNLIN.—One, with full black breast, was at the Hornsea 
end of the Mere on 4th May, and a pair, also in summer 
dress, was there on the 11th, and again (on the south side of 
the Mere) two days later. On 2nd July an immature bird was 
seen near Hornsea Bridge. There were no nests. 
SANDERLING.—One in full summer plumage was seen on the 
sea beach at Hornsea on the evening of 21st May. 
1913 Jan. I. 
