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MARFIELD POND, MASHAM, AND ITS BIRD-LIFE. 



THOMAS CARTER, 

 Burton House, Masham, Yorkshire. 



Marfield Pond is, or rather was, for unfortunately there is no 

 longer such a place, a natural sheet of water of several acres in 

 extent, situated one mile north of Masham, in a large open piece of 

 land to which it has evidently given the name of Marfield (Mere- 

 field). It was 300 feet above sea-level and within 300 yards of the 

 River Yore. Round the margin, in an average dry season, was open 

 water for several yards, where sprung up in summer masses of Persi- 

 caria, Ranunculus, and Water Plantain ; beyond this grew a mass of 

 thick reeds occupying all the centre of the pond, and within which 

 any ordinary number of birds could be perfectly concealed. Being 

 the only natural sheet of water of any size in the neighbourhood, the 

 nearest lakes being Semerwater, 30 miles up the dale, and Gormire, 

 nearly 20 miles east, and being in a somewhat exposed situation, it 

 was the constant haunt of wild-fowl ; but the Swinton estate having 

 recently changed hands, and the present owner being very partial to 

 coursing, has caused it to be drained this summer, in order to give 

 him greater facilities for his favourite amusement. For the same 

 reason the beautiful wild bog occupying the lower part of Marfield, 

 where the Shoveller Duck reared a brood of young in 1869, has been 

 carefully drained and fenced round to form a sort of hare warren, 

 and in course of time all or most of the interesting flowers growing 

 there will gradually disappear. The single patches of Great Sundew 

 and of Great Meadow Rue (the only habitat in the neighbourhood) 

 are already things of the past, by reason of being directly in the way 

 of main trenches ; and so, I fear, will soon be the Marsh Cinquefoil, 

 Bog Asphodel and Pimpernel, Marsh Pennywort, Grass of Parnassus, 

 Marsh and White Helleborine, Globe Flower, Bird's-eye Primrose, 

 Butterwort, and other flowers which grew there in abundance. A 

 list of the birds which have come under my observation during the 

 last few years may not be uninteresting. Doubtless wild-fowl which 

 have been in the habit of visiting Marfield will continue to come for 

 a few years, but finding their old retreat miserably dry, and the abode 

 of hares, they will gradually cease coming, and as they are killed or 

 die from natural causes, the next generation of birds will never know 

 what a charming spot their ancestors used to visit here, and will not 

 come this way. Only last July 29th a flock of 25 Geese came crying 

 out from the north-east and went straight to the pond, but finding it 



Aug. 1886. 



