THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



179 



dippers and found one nest. Grey wagtails 

 and many of the warblers were plentiful, 

 and we took Tephrosia laricaria. We then 

 reached the Middle Gelt Bridge, where there 

 is an old public house, and the line crosses 

 over the valley by a very high viaduct. 

 Here we had a rest and refreshed ourselves, 

 and then came back on the opposite side of 

 the river. We came to some high cliffs, 

 and there two young owls looked over 

 the cliff at us, and we got them down — they 

 are the tawny owl {Syvniinn stridida) . 



May 30th. — I was so pleased with my last 

 night's ramble that I went again up the 

 Gelt and found it still as lovely as before. 

 Butterflies were flying in profusion — Pieris 

 rapa, P.napi, A. cardamines, L. megara, and 

 hibernated specimens of V. lo and the beau- 

 tiful little copper 0. phlasas, and P. sylvanus. 

 I filled my boxes and then went to the Mid- 

 dle Gelt Bridge to refresh the inner man. 

 I saw a bird which was unusual to me, but 

 on watching it with my field-glass found 

 that it was a male pied flycatcher {Mtisicipa 

 atricapilla) . After dinner I also saw the 

 female, so I thought there must be a nest, 

 and after a careful search I found it, and it 

 contained six beautiful eggs, so I procured 

 the birds and nest with the eggs. I then 

 made my way back to Brampton, well 

 pleased with my day's sport ; and my friend, 

 Mr. Parkin, set the birds up for me, and 

 they are a splendid addition to my collection. 



May 31st. — We started for another ramble 

 down the banks of the river Irthing. We 

 crossed the fields into a beautiful lane that 

 leads to the old parish church, which is a 

 mile and a half from the town, and is only 

 used as a cemetery. Then we crossed the fields 

 and came upon a large bed of fine water- 

 cress, with which wa filled our knapsacks. 

 On reaching the banks of the Irthing we saw 

 many gulls, swifts, and sand martins, and in 

 some places the banks were perforated with 

 holes by the martins. In walking down we 

 came upon a sandpiper's nest with four 



beautiful eggs in, and as we proceeded fur- 

 ther down we came upon some large trees 

 overgrown v/ith ivy. We could see that 

 there was something roosting in them. We 

 commenced beating and out came some 

 tawny owls. I heard a strange cry from 

 some large bird, and on looking up we saw 

 a pair of ravens crossing the river to so.na 

 cliff's in the distance. 



June ist. — I had another stroll further 

 down the banks of the Irthing and found a 

 sandpiper's nest with young just hatching. 

 The old one tumbled over and over to 

 attract my attention. I also found the 

 black-headed bunting with four eggs and a 

 nest of the sedge warliler. On my way home 

 I saw Euclidia vii and E. glyphica flying in 

 some grass fields. 



June 2nd. — Mr. Parkin's boy and I started 

 for another ramble to the Gelt. It was very 

 hot and butterflies were not so plentiful as 

 before. We took Tephrosia laricaria and a 

 few small things. Tits and goldcrests were 

 in profusion, but we could find no nests, 

 only a squirrel's. We threw a stone at the 

 nest and out came the old squirrel and ran 

 up to the top of high spruce fir. We came 

 back by an old lane full of gorse and briars 

 and found larvae of Odonestis potatoria. 



June 4th. — Mr. Parkin and I started by 

 rail for Gilsland Spa, and on reaching Rose- 

 hill station, which is a beautiful place, nature 

 may here be seen in her quietest and loveli- 

 est aspects, balmy pathways through retired 

 dells, sparkling rivulets — 



" Which chatter over stony ways 

 In Uttle sharps and trebles," — 



overhanging rocks, whose rugged fissures 

 bear witness to some perturbation of the 

 earth in time past. Passing along from 

 Rosehill station towards Gilsland, we came 

 on a hydropathic establishment, and a littli 

 further down is a house, round which the 

 road bends at right angles before we reach 

 the bridge over the Irthing. The front of 

 the building has been altered, but the back 



