THE HAWKETE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 



a candle to each man, and as there were 

 twenty-five of us, we made a good light 

 which illuminated the deepest recesses in 

 the cave. We were at once amazed with 

 the sights before us; stalactites were hang- 

 ing like icicles from the roof of the cave. 

 In some places there are huge chambers" of 

 considerable heigh ch; in one of these we 

 all collected and sung several hymns, which 

 had an imposing effect upon all present. 

 Around and above us were hanging hun- 

 dreds of glittering stalactites of all sizes 

 and shapes. They have a musical sound 

 on being struck gently with a stick; and at 

 the place called the organ, a guide played 

 several tunes. A stream winds its way 

 through the cave, and in several places 

 wooden bridges are built across to enable 

 visitors to travel through without wetting 

 their feet. Many ladies visit this place, 

 and the way through has been made as easy 

 of access as possible. At the end of the 

 cave is a small waterfall, behind which the 

 guides go, taking as many lights as they 

 can carry and thus illuminate the falls from 

 behind. 



This limestone district is full of caves 

 and natural wonders. Two miles away is 

 Yorda's Cave; and five miles away up 

 Chapel-lc-Dale at the foot of Whernside 

 mountain is Weathercote Cave, worthy of 

 a visit. This place reminds one of a large 

 limestone quarry, down to the bottom of 

 which we descend by a natural stairway. 

 A large waterfall 60 feet high comes pour 

 ing through a hole near the top of one side 

 of the cave, across which is jammed a stone 

 coffin. The water thunders down before us 

 and enters into the bowels of the earth. 

 This waterfall is supposed to run along un- 

 der the ground for two miles when it ap- 

 pears from a hole at the base of a cliff and 

 joins Kingsdale Beck. 



My brother was packing up his boxes 

 when he suddenly sprung to his feet alarm- 



ed, and I soon found the cause, for, just 

 wheie he had been sitting, there was a vi 

 per hissing away like a demon. "We soon 

 laid hold of our sticks and stepped forward 

 to give him a settling, ' but he turned 

 around and darted through the heather, 

 and, although we searched the spot, we 

 found no trace of him. The viper, or ad- 

 der, is the only poisonous British snake. 

 The other two species, called the grass- 

 snake and slow- worm, are not poisonous. 



It is now time to move away from this 

 spot; and as many Longbilled Curlews are 

 screaming away on our left, we make in 

 that direction. Taking advantage of any 

 slight elevation, up which we might crawl 

 on our hands and feet and then show our- 

 selves at the top. we soon startled a Curlew 

 down the slope before ns. Marking down 

 the spot, we advance eagerly and here we 

 are lucky in falling in with a nest and four 

 large, spotted eggs. The j est was eiij'ht 

 inches in diameter, and consisted of a hol- 

 low in the ground lined witli heather. 

 The eggs were of a greenish-olive ground, 

 well spotted with umber brown of various 

 shades and obscure shell markings; average 

 size, 2.70x1.85. This we considered a 

 good addition to our day's work. Having 

 prepared and packed the eggs, we proceed. 

 But surely there must be many nests around 

 this quarter for many Curlews are flying 

 about whistling, but so wary are the birds 

 that it is difficult to find their nes-ts: At 

 last another bird rises -in what -we call a 

 skulking manner, flying close to the 

 ground in a suspicious sort of way. We 

 again mark clown the spot, some sixtj 

 yards ahead, but arriving there found no 

 signs of any nest. We knew it had one by 

 the way it left the spot, and locked 

 around for some time and then retired some 

 distance behind a rock. In ten minutes we 

 again advance; showing ourselves, the Cur- 

 lew rises again and we carefully mark the 

 spot down, and running forward soon found 

 its nest containing three eggs a little smaller 

 in size than the set "previously found. The 

 nest materials were the same. 



[TO BE CONCLUDED IN JUNE NUMBER ] 



