358 Hufton : Limiicsa siagnalis v. umhelicus at Leeds. 



So much, then, for the disastrous season of 1903. As might 

 be expected, we found many kinds of birds much reduced in 

 numbers this year. From my own observation and that of 

 several other ornitholog'ists, I am convinced that no more than 

 half the usual number of summer immig-rants visited our shores. 

 The Cuckoo's note was not so frequently heard ; the Landrail's 

 crake was wanting- in many meadows where it seldom missed 

 being heard in previous years ; the Willow Wren was not half 

 so numerous as usual ; the Chiffchaff I do not remember being- 

 so scarce ; the Tree Pipits and Wagtails were nothing like so 

 common ; whilst many of our residents were greatly reduced 

 in numbers. 



Another result which I think is traceable to the wet season 

 of 1903 we found in the poor broods of this year. Those birds 

 which were hatched and reared in 1903 were, many of them, 

 constitutionally weak in consequence of the wet, cold season. 

 And so I have found the nests of several birds containing half 

 or less than half the usual number of eggs and young. A Willow 

 Wren sat upon three eggs and hatched only two ; another upon 

 four eggs and hatched only one ; two of the other eggs con- 

 tained chicks too weak to get through the shell. A Yellow 

 Hammer sat upon three eggs, hatching two, one of which died 

 soon after hatching. Several Thrushes I found sitting on two 

 and three eggs, and one Blackbird with one young one, which 

 turned out to be pied in colour and is still alive ; I saw it on 

 13th October 1904. Another Blackbird had two young ones out 

 of five eggs, three eggs being unfertile. 



A pair of Grey Wagtails built in an old barn ; four eggs were 

 deposited in the nest and sat upon the full fourteen days, and 

 then were forsaken. About a week after I broke the eggs, and 

 found they were all unfertile. The first time I ever knew a wild 

 bird sit the full time with a like result. 



I could say much more, but I think I have said enough to 

 prove, first, that many birds were much reduced in numbers, 

 and, secondly, that many were weaker and less fitted for their 

 domestic duties than usual, and that these results could be 

 directly traced to the unfavourable weather during the spring 

 and summer of 1903. 



-a>-«-^ii 



Limnada stagnalis v. umbelicus at Leeds. — On 25th 

 October, in a pond near Hunslet, Leeds, I found a large number 

 oi Linincea stagnalis \v\\X-i the mouth of shell very much elongated 

 and a distinct timbeliciis. The uvibelicus in some of the larger 

 specimens were from ^% to \ inch deep. — W. Harrison Hutton, 

 Leeds. 



Naturalist, 



