Reports of Societies. 



59 



Kite v. Buzzard, — Those who have seen both the kite and^the buzzard 

 can never mistake the one for the other, and I am inclined to think, from 

 Mr. Butterfield's description, that Mr, Clarke is right. I never saw the 

 kite with a white head ; I have seen many with light-coloured heads, but 

 they are always inclined to a reddish brown ; and the tail of the kite is 

 so much longer than that of the buzzard, that in any position it cannot 

 be mistaken for that of the latter. — James Varley, Almondbury Bank, 

 Huddersfield, Oct. 18th. 



The Pochard at Huddersfield.— On the 15th inst. I had a fine 

 specimen of the pochard (Fulignla ferina) brought to me, shot on Mr. 

 Day's dam, Almondbury Bank. It is a male bird, in fine plumage. In 

 the evening of the same day I heard a flock of birds passing over, — 

 evidently ducks, from the whistling of their wings. — James Varley, 

 October 18th. 



ScARCROFT Birds. — I always take a great interest in local lists of birds, 

 but I am rather surprised at one or two remarks in Mr. Hay's Scarcroft 

 list. In all my long experience of birds I never saw the grey wagtail 

 follow the plough in winter. It is generally observed in some solitary 

 place near a stream where leaves or other refuse have accumulated, but 

 rarely in fields, unless where water runs down and rubbish has accumu- 

 lated. If we follow it to its breeding-place, we find that it loves some 

 solitary glen where there is a waterfall, and where the golden saxifrage 

 and other aquatic plants grow. If disturbed, it always utters its plaintive 

 note, "Twit, twit?" I often see the pied wagtail following the plough 

 in winter, and its young are grey. Mr. Hay also gives the blackcap 

 warbler as common, and omits the garden warbler altogether, the latter 

 being much the commoner of the two. Early in July I spent a day in 

 and about Roundhay Park, near Leeds, and I had the pleasure of hearing 

 three garden warblers, but only one blackcap. Their songs so much 

 resemble each other, that they are often taken one for the other. The 

 song of the blackcap is more broken, and not continued so long as that 

 of the garden warbler. — Jas. Varley, Oct. 18th. 



Crossbill and Turtle Dove Breeding near York. — Though the 

 crossbill retires to northern latitudes to breed, still there are a few 

 instances on record of its staying, and nesting in England. Every authentic 

 instance should be recorded, as this bird may stay here more often than 

 is generally thought, but on account of it nesting so early in spring, it 

 has very rarely been noticed. Mr. Widdas, whose name has been 

 mentioned before in the pages of the Naturalist, found this bird's nest in 

 a fir plantation, at Stockton-on-Forest, near York. He and his friend 

 were bird-nesting very early in spring, in the plantation, when Mr. 

 Widdas saw, as he thought, a greenfinch's nest built in a fir tree. 

 Immediately he began to ascend the tree, out flew a strange bird. The 

 nest contained four eggs, which Mr, Widdas was unable to identify at the 

 time, but afterwards found to be those of the crossbill. The nest, which 



