250 



Armitt: The Birds of Rydal. 



following- it in its nest-hole and using- it in the next season. 

 The Blue Titmouse will do this, and I believe the Great ; but 

 the Starling is the worst enemy. A patch of woodland that was 

 literally crowded by a colony of these gentle little birds in 1895, 

 was in April 1899, at the time of its arrival, fully possessed by 

 Starlings, who completely occupied all the old trees. The 

 spread of the Starling- is certainly mischievous to the smaller 

 woodland birds and likely to diminish their numbers. Sing-le 

 old cock birds beg-in to arrive from the 18th April, taking- up at 

 once their old stations, entering- the old nest-hole, and singing 

 for their mates. When the hen arrives (from three to six days 

 later) singing- abates and the two proceed to nest at once very 

 quietly in the same hole. Later cocks arrive on the last days 

 of the month, and throug-h the first and even second week of 

 May. Being- probably young- birds there is much more com- 

 motion while they try to procure both a mate and nest-hole ; 

 and their excitement on gaining the two is extraordinary. 

 They fail, often, however, of one or the other, and many of the 

 later comers appear never to establish themselves. The nest 

 processes occupy, from the sitting of the hen to the fligfht of the 

 young, 27 to 30 days ; the latter period being- most usual. The 

 eggs are often seven in number, like the Redstarts. The young- 

 are fed by the parents at least eight days after flight. They 

 then retire into the deepest seclusion and silence, and are 

 difficult to trace. Last sight I have had of them was on 18th 

 July ; last sound, 29th July. I have twice seen pairs toy and 

 court while they w T ere yet feeding their nestlings, but have never 

 known a second nest. The food of this species is much of it 

 taken from the ground, like the Redstart. It consists of small 

 beetles, such as the Bracken Clock (P/iyl/operfha horticolci)', and 

 Lagria hirta ; Wolf Spiders, or Lycosce ; as well as flies, more 

 particularly the large-winged, slow-flying ones that come from 

 water. An abundant greenish river-fly often taken I am unable 

 to name. The Pied Flycatcher has the pretty habit of hanging 

 to its nest-hole, warbling, with fanned tail. Upon excitement 

 it lowers and raises its tail slowly ; also upon excitement and 

 fear flickers its wings high. 



House Martin. Chelidon urbica (L.). Summer visitant. 

 Not abundant. Nests on the hall and upon a few cottages. 



Sand Martin. Clivicola riparia (L. ). Summer visitant. 

 Small bands in spring seem to be explorers for new nest- 

 quarters, which are not to be had in the parish, and are rare 

 all over Lakeland. Holes are sometimes bored in the low 



Naturalist, 



