NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FROM YORKSHIRE. 238 



Grimsby, work sad havoc amongst them. One man alone took 

 thirty-eight eggs back with him. The lighthousemen and the 

 • local policeman do what they can, but unless a proper watcher is 

 again put on, as he most certainly ought to be, the birds are 

 doomed. I found them so shy that they keep high up in the air, 

 leaving their eggs to the heat of the sun and sand during the day- 

 time, and only returning to them at dusk, when their enemies 

 have departed. It is really iniquitous that our last remaining 

 colony in the county of these pretty little birds should be so 

 harried, and strong measures ought to be taken at once to ensure 

 their breeding in peace. Was very glad to find a Shelduck sit- 

 ting hard in a Rabbit-burrow on the sand-hills. Great numbers 

 of Corn-Buntings about. 



30th. — Metcalfe got a splendid photograph of a Golden Plover 

 on her nest. 



July. 



1st. — A fine Trout caught at Thorntondale, weighing 2^- lb. 



10th. — Moore and I went to take a Nightjar on her eggs, 

 which were just upon hatching. Working with sixty feet of 

 pneumatic tubing, we got six good shots at her in various posi- 

 tions in a little over an hour ; then we left her in peace. The 

 difficulty was to keep her off the eggs. She was back again after 

 each changing of the plates in a very short time. I wish some- 

 one would invent a method of changing plates without the 

 operator having to leave cover — as, for instance, on pulling a 

 string, the exposed plate to slip down into a compartment, and 

 a new one pushed forward into position by a spring, or some- 

 thing of that sort. 



11th. — Saw a curiously marked Fox-cub, having three large 

 white stockings (one hind leg and both fore legs), and a large 

 white patch on the back of the head, the size of the palm of a 

 man's hand. Had a live Hawfinch brought to me that had been 

 caught eating peas. I am sorry to say that many get shot in 

 gardens owing to this habit. 



13th. — Heavy storm ; some lumps of ice fell as big as Black- 

 bird's eggs, doing a great amount of damage. 



15th. — Saw a curious Jackdaw with cinnamon-coloured wings. 



19th. — Found a Little Grebe's nest containing three eggs. 

 The nest was made of the following plants : — (1) Sparganium 



Zooh. Mh ser. vol. IV., May, 1900. r 



