NOTES ON THE VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF YORKSHIRE, 



1881-1883. 



By Wm. Eaglr Olarkb, F.L.S., and Wm. Denison Roebuck. 

 f Continued.J 



17. Ruticilla t/dys (Scop.). Blackday^t, 



Mr. Bailey's note, that lie has observed this species at Flamborough, 

 in October and November, having been doubted in high quarters, 

 it is interesting to know that Clarke shot one at Spurn, in the last 

 week of October, 1882, and saw another there about the same date 

 in 1883. It is probably a regular autumn visitant. 



18 or 19. C,yfl';»2fi'6'^^/« species). Bluethroat. 



Spurn Head, one shot in Clarke's presence on the 11th of 

 September, 1882, and another seen the same day. The specimen 

 procured was an immature bird, in which state of plumage the two 

 species C. leucocyana and G, suecica are indistinguishable. 



21. Daulias luscinia (L.). Niglitingale. 



The northern range of this bird has been extended as far as 

 Scarborough, where it undoubtedly bred in 1882 (W. Robinson). 

 At Staveley, near Boroughbridge, two pairs nested in 1881 

 (Knubley), and a pair nested near Harrogate in 1883 (Inchbald). 



37. Acrocephalus streperns (Vieill.). Reed Warbler. 



Seebohm, in his " British Birds," remarks that it " seems very 

 doubtful whether the Reed Warbler breeds in Great Britain north 

 of the Humber." This surprising conjecture is of course quite 

 erroneous, for the species is known to breed quite commonly in 

 various localities which are not only north of the Humber, but some 

 of them actually in the northern half of the county, as for instance 

 Staveley near Boroughbridge, and Knaresborough, in both of w^hich 

 localities it nests annually. It is also a regular nesting species near 

 Leeds, and at Hornsea Mere in the East Riding it breeds in great 

 abundance. This is not the only instance in which we have to 

 regret the vague and sketchy manner in which so important a 

 subject as the distribution in Britain of British birds is treated in so 

 valuable a work. 



71a. Lanius major Pallas. Pallas^ s Great Grey Shihe. 



This form is allowed specific rank by Mr. Seebohm in his work on 

 British Birds. From the number of Yorkshire specimens that 



