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NO TES— ORNITHOL O G Y. 



Black Redstart at Scarborough. — On Christmas Day, a fine female speci- 

 men of the Black Redstart {Ruticilla tithys) was shot in Cayton Bay, near Scar- 

 borough, which has been preserved by Mr. W. J. Clarke, through whose courtesy 

 I have recently had an opportunity of examining the bird, which I find correctly 

 identified, and apparently a mature female.— J. Backhouse, Jun., York, May 1889. 



Dotterel, etc., on the Pickering Moors. — On May 2nd, when crossing over 

 the moor between Allerston Warren and Lockton, I saw three Dotterel (Eudromias 

 morinellus) — two males and one female. This is a species I have never seen before ; 

 when I got close to them I had no difficulty in making them out. I see from Yarrell 

 that their breeding haunts in England are the High Cumberland Fells and perhaps 

 these were on their migration thither or may be going further north. The Golden 

 Plover [Charadriits pluvialis) breeds on the Moor and I was looking for their nest 

 when I came upon the Dotterel. How soon on their arrival do the Ring-Ouzels 

 {Turdus torquatus) begin their work of incubation ! The first I saw was on the 

 26th of April, and I don't think there were any here much sooner, and yet to-day, 

 May 2nd, I found a nest with four eggs and was told of another nest also with 

 four. — Herbert Prodham, Allerston, Pickering, 3rd May, 18S9. 



Flamborough Bird-Notes. — Since I last wrote, several more summer 

 visitants have arrived on the Headland, including the Whitethroat (Sylvia 

 cinerea) and the Cuckoo (Cucultts canorus). The first arrival of the Pied Fly- 

 catcher (Muscicapa atricapilla) was on Monday morning, May 6th. The other 

 day the light-keeper's son brought me in a Whitethroat and Redstart (Ruticilla 

 phcvnicitrus) which had, no doubt, like several other birds, unfortunately been 

 killed with flying against the light. Mr. Tom W. Woodcock, farmer, informs me 

 of his having seen on the Headland a male and female of the Great Shrike (Lanius 

 excubitor). I was also informed of one seen May 3rd. This makes five seen this 

 season, a number which I consider very extraordinary. — Matthew Bailey, 

 Flamborough, May 14th, 1S89. 



Nightingale at Ripley, Yorkshire. — The Nightingale (Daulias luscinia) has 

 this year favoured the woods of Ripley with its presence. It arrived on May 12th 

 (a rather late date), and at the time of writing is in splendid song. Two things 

 are particularly noticeable about the song, one being that at the beginning of many 

 bars it utters the alarm note of the Willow Wren, and so perfect is this, that for 

 several times I was deceived and thought there was a Willow Wren in close 

 proximity. The other is the dragging in now and then of the harsh note of the 

 Sedge Warbler. It has the ' water bubble ' note to perfection and several long 

 drawn-out notes were exquisite in their melody ; they seemed to denote ' Eternal 

 passion, eternal pain.' One series of notes especially gave one the impression, 

 while they held him rooted to the spot, that someone had the bird in his hand 

 and was crushing the life out of its little body. I have often remarked how 

 eminently suited the particular place where they have settled was for the 

 Nightingale. It is on the i>rit. The birds are being strictly watched, I am glad 

 to say. —Riley Fortune, Harrogate, May 19th, 1889. 



Nightingale at Staveley, near Boroughbridge. — This locality has once 

 more been favoured with the presence of a pair of Nightingales (Daulias luscinia), 

 who have taken up their residence in a small wood about one mile from the village 

 of Staveley. The song was first heard early in May and identified by Mr. 

 F. A. Hartley, of Low Hall. Accompanied by a small party, I visited the wood 

 on Saturday, the 18th of May. We arrived on the ground about nine in the 

 evening, and though rook-shooting had been continued in the immediate vicinity 

 until dusk, we were soon rewarded by hearing the unmistakable notes of the 

 nightingale, at first uttered in a tentative manner, but by degrees becoming more 

 continuous. As we wended our way homeward, even when more than half-a-mile 

 distant from its haunt, we could still hear the bird pouring forth its song. We 

 trust that this pair will not share the fate of those who visited the neighbourhood 

 of Knaresborough last year. For in that case the farmer on whose land the birds 

 had taken up their abode shot the male bird, in order to secure his hedges from 

 the depredations of the crowds who came nightly to hear the songster. — 



E. P. Knubley, Staveley Rectory, 21st May, 1889. 



Naturalist, 



