138 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



ornithology. He sold his eggs, and his 

 insects, and gave his whole attention to 

 birds. He took some lessons in taxidermy 

 from his friend Mr. Parkin, of whom mention 

 will be made further on in giving an account 

 of Varley's journey into Cumberland. He 

 then went to work in good earnest. Several 

 institutions, notably one at Bradford, and 

 another at Bingley engaged him to exhibit 

 his birds, and, although when his years 

 began to wane and he had no one to take 

 interest in it, he was wishful to turn his 

 collection into money ; yet up to his very 

 death his whole desire seems to have been, 

 as he often expressed himself, to make a 

 complete British collection 



Chap. IV. — Ornithological Extracts 

 FROM HIS Diary. 



Varley seems to have begun to keep a 

 diary about 1858, but much of it is written 

 with a soft pencil, and is so obliterated by 

 constant wear and friction in the pocket as 

 to render some of the early entries quite 

 undecipherable. The entries necessarily 

 have been made somewhat irregularly, as 

 a person who is confined in a mill from six 

 in the morning to six at night, has only a 

 limited time for making observations, much 

 less for entering them in his book. 



During the earlier part of his residence at 

 Almondbury Bank his wife kept a small 

 shop and sold groceries, and after he left 

 the mill on a Saturday, James had a certain 

 " round " which he used to go with a basket, 

 supplying their distant customers in the 

 country. These rounds gave him a good 

 opportunity for observation once a week, 

 Saturday or Sunday being his principal 

 days for natural history. 



In summer time, and when the weather 

 was fine, he would be up by three o'clock in 

 a morning and off to the woods, especially 

 when the migrant birds were in full song. 

 He was always very attentive to the birds 

 of passage and also to birds passing from 

 shore to shore, whether by night or day. 



The following extracts from his diary 

 have been selected and arranged so as to 

 be of interest either locally or generally : — 



Honey Buzzard. — "April 20th, 1874, 

 Honey Buzzard shot at Storthes Hall by 

 Mr. Pemberton. Its crop contained one 

 young bird and egg shells of the Missel 

 Thrush. It measured 22 in. from bill to 

 tail, and 4 ft. 5 in. in expanse of wings." 

 (All the birds of prey are rare in this dis- 

 trict. This is the second specimen of this 

 species which has been obtained at the same 

 place. The first is in my collection. --S.L.M.) 



Missel Thrush.— In song, Feb. 5, 1870; 

 Jan. 20, 1872 ; Feb. 7, 1874 ; Dec. 26, 1875 ; 

 Dec. 24, 1876. 



Song Thrush — In Song, Feb. 6, 1870; 

 Jan. 20, 1872 ; Feb. 7, 1874; March 11, 1881. 



Blackbird. — In song, March 27, 1870 ; 

 Feb. I, 1872; Feb. 8, 1874; March 14, 1881. 



Ring Ouzle, &c. — " May 6, 1876. — Went 

 to Hebden Bridge and heard Wood Warbler, 

 Redstart, Wheatear, Grey Wagtail, in sum- 

 mer dress. I saw three pairs of Sandpipers, 

 Dippers, and many Ring Ouzles, and took 

 three nests [of latter] one with blue eggs." 



" May 4, 1878.— Went to Hebden Bridge, 

 and from 4th to 8th I saw the following 

 spring migrants : — Sandpipers ; Dippers, 

 found two nests; Ring Ouzle, plentiful, 

 found four nests, one with young ; Corn- 

 crake ; Wood Wren ; Garden Warbler ; 

 Whinchat ; and Green Plover." 



Fieldfare. — First and last dates : — April 

 14. 1872, large flock; Oct. 25, 1873, large 

 flock; April 17, 1875, large flock. 



Redwing. — First seen, Oct. 19, 1873 ; Oct. 

 28, 1876 ; Oct. 29, 1878 ; Oct. 14, 1880. 



Hedge Sparrow. — In song, Feb. 5, 1870 ; 

 Jan. 27. 1872 ; Feb. 7. 1874. 



Redstart. — First seen, April 14, 1872 ; 

 April 26, 1873 ; April 18, 1874 ; May 6, 1876; 

 May 3, 1876. 



Stonechat. — "March 6, 1878. — Stone- 

 chat shot on Dalton Bank." The Stonechat 



