NOTE on YORKSHIRE BIRDS. 



Peregrine near Driffield. — A fine Peregrine Falcon {Falco peregrin us) 



was shot near Driffield in May last. — T. Sheppard, Hull, 15th July 1902. 



NOTES on LINCOLNSHIRE BIRDS. 



Woodcock and Nightjar Nesting in Lincolnshire.— In Tumby 

 Wood, near Horncastle, Sir Henry M. Hawley, Bart., of Tumby Lawn, 

 has recently seen a Woodcock {Scolopax rnsticola) sitting- on four eggs. 

 He has also seen a Nig-htjar [Caprimulgus europceus) on her nest. I have 

 known both these to occur before on the Moor-ground, near Woodhall Spa ; 

 but the occurrences are both somewhat unusual. — J. Conway Walter, 

 Langton Rectory, 14th June 1902. 



Nidification and Variation of Birds at Lea, near Gainsborough, 

 in 1902. — I should be glad to know whether it is usual for the Reed Bunting 

 {Emberiza schceniclus) to build in the middle of an open meadow like the 

 Skylark ? During the first week of June 1902, two nests were found near 

 Lea so built, in the middle of a large meadow in quite short grass, both 

 nests singularly open and unconcealed. The sitting bird was flushed in 

 both cases, thus rendering a mistake in the species impossible. 



During the same week nests of the following birds were found in Lea 

 parish : — Blackbird and Thrush {Merxila merula and Turdus musicus) 

 numerous ; Hedge-sparrow {Tharrhaleus modularis) ; Greenfinch {Ligurinus 

 chloris) much less numerous than in 1901 and former years ; Chaffinch 

 {Fringilla ccelebs) ; Brown Linnet {Cannabina cannabina) less numerous 

 than in 1901 ; Bullfinch {Pyrrhida europcea) ; Reed Bunting {Emberiza 

 schceniclus) ; Yellow Bunting {Emberiza citrinella) ; Pied Wagtail {Motacilla 

 Jugubris) ; Yellow Wagtail {Motacilla campesiris), several pairs, all apparently 

 nesting in one large meadow, and entirely confined to that area ; White- 

 throat {Sylvia sylvia) numerous ; Lesser Whitethroat {Sylvia curruca), one 

 example with young ; Blackcap {Sylvia atricapilla) very numerous ; Garden 

 Warbler {Sylvia simplex) less numerous than in former years ; Willow 

 Warbler {Phylloscopus trochilus); Sedge W T arbler {Acrocephalus phragmitis); 

 Wren {Anorthura troglodytes) much less numerous than in 190T, when Lea 

 Hall garden was full of nests ; Tree Pipit {Anthus trivialis) ; Meadow Pipit 

 {Anthns pratensis) ; Great Tit {Parus major) ; Blue Tit {Partis coendeus) ; 

 Long-tailed Tit {^.Egithalus vaga?is) ; Gold-crested Wren {Regulus regains) ; 

 Moorhen {Gallinula chloropns) ; Woodpigeon {Columba palumbus) ; Stock- 

 dove {Columba cenas) ; Turtledove {Turticr turtur) ; Partridge {Pcrdix 

 perdix) ; and Pheasant {Phasianns colchicus). 



No nest of the Nightingale {Daulias luscinia) was found, as this year- 

 there was only one pair, in place of the four or five which are generally to 

 be heard in Lea parish. 



Has any member of the Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union ever noticed an 

 unusual occurrence of curious oological varieties in the season following 

 a cold spring? This year the amount of curious varieties found at Lea lias 

 been very remarkable ; and it occurred to me that possibly the cold late 

 spring might have something- to do with it. Among the varieties found 

 were tw*o clutches of the pale-blue Chaffinches' eggs, without spots ; a 

 clutch of Blackcap's eggs, white with very few pale yellow spots (when 

 blown this egg was snow-white, and formed a most extraordinary contrast 

 to the two ordinary Blackcap types) ; a snow-white Pheasant's egg ; a \ ery 

 curious clutch of Reed Bunting's, very small light olive-greenish eggs, with 

 few uncertain markings (the lightest egg of the clutch, which was marked 

 chieflv at the larger end, was hardly distinguishable from a Whitethroai S 

 and a clutch of Spotted Flycatcher's eggs {Muscicapa grtsola), five in 

 number, very large, pale blue, unspotted, and all irregular in shape. ] am 

 waiting to see whether the last-mentioned eggs will hatch, as 1 think it 

 probable, from their abnormal shape, that they are unfertile. M VRGAR1 1 L. 

 Anderson, Lea Hall, Gainsborough, 1st July 1002. 



1902 August 1. 



