Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union: Annual Report, 1912 73 
average dates in arrival, with the exception of the Swift. 
Many species were very scarce; this was especially noticeable 
in the ranks of the swallow tribe and some of the Warblers, the 
Willow Warblers especially. Some localities which usually 
abound with them, were almost devoid of their lively presence. 
The Wood Warbler, which arrives at a later date was, however, 
as abundant as ever. Spotted Flycatchers were very late in- 
deed, but eventually turned up in full numbers. Corn Crakes 
too were plentiful. - 
The nesting season has been an unfortunate one, especially 
for ground-breeding birds, many nests having been destroyed 
by the cold and excessive wet. Partridges, in some localities, 
suffered very heavily. In one wood I found several nests of 
tits drowned in the nest boxes put up for their convenience. 
The moorland birds, Curlews and Golden Plovers, behaved in 
a peculiar manner. They arrived at their breeding haunts 
about the usual time and were about the moors for a week or 
ten days, when the severe weather drove them into the low- 
lands, where they were found in flocks at the time they 
should have been busy with family matters. Nesting Snipe 
have been unusually plentiful. 
One noticeable feature has been the increase in the num- 
ber cf White Wagtails in Wharfedale and Airedale. The late 
stay of Swifts is also worthy of remark. 
Many interesting notes have appeared during the year in 
The Naturalist, and a fuller report will be sent later. 
Tue East Ripinc.—Mr. E. W. Wade writes :—The season 
1912 has been as remarkable for the prolonged rains and 
absence of sunshine as its predecessor was for a record spell 
of hot dry weather, and the contrasting effects of the two 
upon bird life afford much interesting food for comparision. 
Owls, the Long-eared Species in particular, have. scarcely 
bred at all in the East Riding, the birds being still in flocks at 
the end of April. The Tawny Owl was more fertile, but many 
non-breeding pairs were hanging about the usual haunts all 
the spring. The Barn Owl bred late and laid small clutches. 
The non-breeding of the resident species of Owls in an un- 
favourable season is effectually proved. In searching for the 
cause of this infertility one is driven to the conclusion that the 
excessively wet autumn and winter had killed off the mice, 
and their food supply being scanty, interfered with the pro 
duction of offspring. 
On the other hand, Rooks, Crows, and the Corvidae generally 
bred early and produced full clutches, the sunny April and May 
evidently giving them a plentiful food supply. The first young 
Rooks were shot on 27th April. 
The other partially migratory species were well up to the 
usual nesting dates. Blackbirds commonly reared three broods, 
ig13 Jan.t. 
