302 MR. B. AMSDEN S REPORT OF 



added to the interest of a most enjoyable excursion, which 

 terminated with a tea at Rowlands Gill. 



The Second Meeting was held on Saturday, the 4th June, 

 at Ponteland and Prestwick Carr, when by the kindness of 

 Mrs. Eustace Smith the members were afforded an opportunity 

 of inspecting that small portion of the Carr which still remains 

 in something like its original state. The Carr once formed 

 one of the principal breeding places of wild birds in the north, 

 and was one of the most famous of nature's nurseries. Many 

 specimens were obtained therefrom by Mr. John Hancock, 

 who speaks of it as equally celebrated for both its botanical 

 and its entomological features. But now its glory in these 

 respects has departed and the largest part lies under the 

 plough, affording to our entomologists little more than an 

 unidentified species of wireworm and an intolerable number of 

 the weird looking leather-jacket, the grub of the cranefiy or 

 daddy-long-legs, which in its larval state does so much harm 

 to the crops. There remain however a few acres of partially 

 drained peat land covered with heather and small larch trees, 

 which with a few clumps of wood afford shelter to game and 

 the other wild life which is found wherever this is preserved. 

 Traces of their presence were seen in the burrows of the 

 rabbits, the numerous entries of a fox earth, and the still 

 larger hole which was thought to betoken the presence of a 

 badger. The body of a stoat, but lately shot in the very act 

 of devouring a large bird, apparently a sparrow hawk, whose 

 wings and feathers were strewn about the nearest hole, lifted 

 the veil from one of nature's tragedies, and the presence of a 

 large ball stuck round with magpie feathers and suspended 

 from a pole in one of the pheasants' feeding grounds spoke of 

 another of the keepers' enemies — as did also a wire snare 

 picked up by one of the party. 



Curlew, snipe, plovers, partridges, redshank, cuckoo, and 

 corncrakes were both seen and heard. The nest and eggs of 

 a whinchat were found, and the broken egg of a missel thrush 



