THE YOUNG NATURALIST 



287 



NATURAL HISTORY DIARY, 



By J. W. Carter, Bradford. 



May. 



Est. — Sedge Warbler and Yellow Woodwren 

 arrived. — (E. P. P. B.) 



■2nd. — Saw a Greater Spotted Woodpecker in 

 Bingley Wood. — (E. P. P. B.) 



4th. — For several days I have observed a 

 pair of Linnets come to a seed bed in 

 my garden, when a second male came j 

 the first chased it away immediately, 

 while the female picked up fibrous roots, 

 &c.j for building. — (S. L. M.) 



7th. — Wild Hyacinth (Scilla nutans j in fi., 

 Saltaire. 



8th. — Saw the Whitethroat. Herb-Paris 

 (Paris quadrifolia) just coming into A., 1 

 Bingley Wood. — (E. P. P. B.) 



Fidonia atomaria out, Rombalds Moor. 

 The Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campcstvis) 

 darting about very rapidly in the hot sun. 

 Bees and Diptera flying about in great | 

 numbers. Aphodius fimitarius common in 

 cow dung on Baildon Moor. Oarabus \ 

 nitons out, Rombalds Moor. S. belgiaria j 

 on the wing. Found Meadow Pipit's j 

 nest, containing eggs, in a furze bush, 

 which we considered a rather abnormal 

 situation, as we have never found them 

 previously except on the bare ground. , 

 Took several males of Saturn ia carpi ni 

 with a female, which was equally attrac- 

 tive after copulation, which is altogether \ 

 contrary to the statement usually made j 

 in books. 



9th. — A female Sparrow was feeding in a seed i 

 bed opposite my window, a male came, j 

 strutted about with drooping wings and j 

 spreading tail, and after parading about J 

 before the female for some time they flew j 

 off together, evidently having made a | 

 match. I had observed the same thing 

 a few days before, but the female imme- 

 diately chased the male away, which 

 returned, but was again dispersed. — 

 (S. L. M.) 



nfch.— Cidaria suffumata out.— (E. P. P. B.) 

 Saw and chased for a considerable dis- 

 tance, a specimen of Vanessa Antiopa, on 

 the highway near Barden Tower. Saw 

 the Blackcap and Garden Warbler in 

 Bolton Woods.— (J. A. Butterfieid.) 



12th. — Pieris rap.? and riapi first seen ; Land- 

 rail and Sedge Warbler heard. — 

 (S. L. M.) 



14th.— My brother and I saw, and heard 

 singing, for the first time in this locality 

 (Bingley Wood) that beautiful bird, the 

 Pied Flycatcher. I saw it building in a 

 hole in a beech tree on the iSth inst., 

 which afforded me, I can assure you, 

 much pleasure.— (E. P. P. B.) M. flue- 

 tuata seen. — (S. L. M.) 



18th. — Saw the Swift and Spotted Flycatcher 

 at Beckfoot.— (E. P. P. B.) Rumia era- 

 tcsgatq first seen. — (S. L, M.) 



20th. — Found two nests of the Grey Wagtail, 

 containing young, in Goit Stock Vallev, 

 Bingley. — (E. P. P. B.) 



21st. — Took Hadcna glauca, Bingley.— (E. P. 

 P. B.) Larvas of M. strigilis in stems of 

 Cocks-foot grass (Dactylis glomerata). — 

 (S. L. M.) Larentia salicata out, Shipley 

 Glen. — (J. F. ) This species was ex- 

 tremely abundant in 1S79, but has been 

 scarce since, and Mr. Butterfieid makes 

 the same remarks, with regard to its 

 appearance in the neighbourhood of 

 Bingley. 



24th. — Oak fairly in leaf. 



25th. — Saw and heard the Nightjar, Bingley. 

 — (E. P. P. B.) 



27th. — Took A. badiata and three L. salicata, 

 Bingley.— (E. P. P. B.) 



2Sth. — Coremia ferrugata out, Bingley. — 

 (E. P. P. B.) Took two specimens of 

 Selvnia lunaria at Shipley Glen. Xot 

 common in this district ; one taken at 

 Hawksworth in 187S, and the two men- 

 tioned above are the only recorded 

 captures. P. petraria, E. albitlata, and 

 V. inipluviata out, Shipley Glen,— (J. F. 

 and J. W. C.) Sycamore in flower, 



