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NOTES— ORNITHOLOG Y. 

 Nidincation of King Ouzel and Missel Thrush.— Referring to 



Mr. Whitlock's note in your January number about the Ring Ouzel and Missel Thrush, 

 my experience coincides with his. I never found a Ring Ouzel's nest with more 

 than four eggs in. The Missel Thrush lays three, four, or five eggs ; not un- 

 frequently, after being disturbed from its first nest, only three. — H. G. TOMLINSON, 

 the Woodlands, Burton-on-Trent. 



Young Skylarks fed by an older nestling.— In 1884 a nest of 



Skylarks were taken as fledglings and brought up, and one bird (a cock) was kept 

 until the summer of 1885. This year (1885) another nest of fledglings was taken 

 after both old birds had been limed near the nest. The nest with the young birds and 

 the old birds were all put into a cage with the young cock. The old birds paid no 

 attention whatever to their young, and devoted their whole attention to trying 

 to escape, but after a very short time the young cock began to feed the young 

 birds, and did so until the old birds observing it quieted down, and all three 

 continued to feed the young birds until the latter were able to feed themselves. — 

 H. G. Pearsox, Barrow-in-Furness, January 2nd, 1886. 



Late Brood Of SwallOWS. — A young naturalist friend told me to-day 

 (October 16th) that last Saturday, the 10th inst., he found at Ravenfield, near 

 Rotherham, a Swallow's nest containing three young ones in a healthy condition. 

 Their characteristic hues were just showing. I should like to know whether, in 

 such a case, maternal instinct has ever detained the mother-bird after her com- 

 panions have migrated. My friend and his companion took the nest and its 

 contents for the cabinet, believing that the young would perish. — T. W. Brewts, 

 Rotherham, October 16th, 1885. 



Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Grasshopper Warbler 

 nesting in Nidderdale. — I have noticed this summer a pair of the Lesser 

 Spotted Woodpecker in an old oak tree, near to Pateley Bridge. I have 

 endeavoured to obtain information with regard to this bird, but no occurrence of 

 its nesting is remembered in Nidderdale. 



I also observed a nest of the Grasshopper Warbler in Guyscliffe, Pateley Bridge. 

 This bird is rather rare in this district. This is the second occurrence of its nesting 

 here.— William Storey, Pateley Bridge, June 10th, 1885. 



Light-coloured Grouse in Nidderdale.— Mr. Hanley Hutchinson 



informs me that a few years ago there was a breed of cream-coloured or very light - 

 coloured Grouse {Lagopus scotiats) on Grimwith Moor, near Pateley Bridge (Nidder- 

 dale). The above gentleman endeavoured to preserve this breed, but without 

 avail, as three of these were shot, and now are stuffed and in the possession of 

 William Newbould, Grouse Inn, Dry Gill, near Pateley Bridge ; there is also one 

 now in the possession of Mr. Hutchinson. — William Storey, Pateley Bridge, 

 January 1st, 1886. 



Quail in North Lancashire.— Referring to Mr. Baldwin's note in your 

 last issue, I saw a Quail while shooting at Rampside (on the opposite side of 

 Morecambe Bay), on the 7th November last. — H. G. Pearson, Barrow-in-Furness, 

 January 2nd, 1 886. 



Stone Curlews on the Yorkshire Wolds.— Whilst glancing over an 

 article on the Vertebrate Fauna of Yorkshire in the Naturalist for May 1884, 1 read that 

 the Stone Curlew ( CEdicnenuts crepitans) is now becoming very rare in the Southern 

 Wolds, but that a pair bred near Market Weighton in 1881. At Fimber, Burdale, 

 and Thixendale, on the Wolds, the Stone Curlew has bred for the last four years, 

 In fact I have heard their nocturnal cries ; and not only that, but seen the old 

 birds and young ones, also their nests and eggs. Old men of the village tell me 

 that the Curlew was very common on the Wolds half a century ago, and before 

 the enclosure, and when many rabbit warrens existed. I wrote Mr. Morris some 

 two or three years ago, telling him that I had a brood of Curlews on my farm, at 

 Fimber. His reply was, that they would be Stone Curlews. 



I have heard only last week that a Stockdove has a nest, on the side of a corn- 

 stack, with young ones, belonging to Mr. Richard Hartley, Fimber-field, \\ Tiarram, 

 York; if so, it is a curious thing to record. — R. Mortimer, Fimber, Wharrarn, 

 York, May 5 th, 1884. Naturalist, 



