NATVBAL HISTORY NOTES FROM YORKSHIRE. 235 



that another fine Osprey was shot near Scarborough. An arch- 

 angel would have no chance in these days. Common Buzzard, 

 Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, and Pomatorhine Skua were 

 obtained at Bridlington. On the 14th a beautiful white Weasel 

 was shot at Whixley by Mr. H. Pexton ; it had normal coloured 

 eyes, and was of a very pure white. These varieties of the 

 Weasel are very scarce ; this is only the second that I have seen. 

 Mr. Allen, the well-known York taxidermist, showed me a young 

 Rat, which cannot have been more than six weeks old, in which 

 the upper incisors had either been broken completely away, or 

 had never been ; but the lower ones had grown and curled to the 

 length of nearly two inches — a remarkably rapid growth. Had a 

 white Mole sent to me, which I stuffed. Was away at the Lin- 

 colnshire flight-nets at the end of the month. 



November. 

 A Gray Phalarope got at the Teesmouth, Nov. 19th, shot with 

 a pistol. A Red-necked Phalarope obtained at Easington, Holder- 

 ness, on the 8th u Several Whooper Swans in Bridlington Bay. 

 Green Sandpipers about. In the middle of the month I was 

 down on the Humber. At a certain spot there were great num- 

 bers of our commonest Wild Goose — the Pink-footed. I saw one 

 huge mass of them, in which there cannot have been much fewer 

 than a thousand birds ; they arrive early in September, and 

 remain throughout the winter. About 8 o'clock every morning, 

 making a great noise, long skeins of them fly over North Cave 

 Vicarage, where my friend the Rev. W. M. Tomlinson lives, on 

 their way to feed on the stubbles, &c, on the wolds. One morn- 

 ing, with his Rook-rifle, Tomlinson fired at the leading bird, 

 which was a great height up, and a big field's distance from the 

 garden. He hit the third bird, and down it came. We had it 

 in a pie, and excellent it was. I preserved the skin for him, as a 

 memento of a wonderful shot. In such mild open weather we 

 were quite unable to get near the birds on the Humber with a 

 punt and big gun. On the 25th, when Pheasant shooting, I was 

 surprised to see a large Frog hopping about in the middle of a 

 wood as merrily as if it were June. Saw two Woodcock. 



December. 



During December we had some very severe weather. Mr. 



r2 



