10 
YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION. 
Several species of birds continue to increase as breeding 
species, viz., Turtle Doves, Goldfinches. Red-legged Partridges 
and Tufted Ducks. 
East Riding,— Mr. E. W. Wade writes :— The very early 
breeders, e.g., Rooks, seem to have been somewhat retarded, 
only 25% of the birds in some rookeries having full clutches by 
the end of March, but an abundant supply of food seems to have 
enabled them to make up for lost time, as the young ones were 
ready for shooting on the usual date, 12th May, and certainly 
showed no deficiency in number. Other rookeries on the con- 
trary, showed full clutches at the usual date. Mr. C. W. Mason 
reports that he has seen six eggs in the same Rook's nest for three 
consecutive seasons. 
The heavy snow storms in the South during the third week in 
April certainly had the result of keeping Irnck the spring migrants 
which were all exceptionally late. The earliest Willow Warbler 
observed was on i8th April ; the first Swallow on 23rd April, 
whilst most of the Warblers and the Cuckoo did not make their 
appearance till the end of the month, or the first week in May. 
The reports of the numbers of these birds breeding with us 
are conflicting. Mr. H. R. Jackson found the Warblers up to 
the average in Holderness, whilst Mr. F. Boyes, on the other hand,, 
noted in some localities an entire absence of familiar visitors, 
and a general scarcit}^ of Warblers round Beverley and the River 
Hull District, where also the Whinchat and House Martin were 
particularly conspicuous by their absence. Is it possible that 
the snow retarded these birds, and kept them further south ? 
The Wheatear lingered in Holderness till mid May, and at Bempton 
a pair was observed feeding young in June, presumably having 
bred in the locality. The Goldfinch shows no increase in numbers, 
a few pairs frequenting favourite localities only, and it shares 
with the Lesser Redpole the position of being one of our scarcest 
birds. The Chaffinch has been exceptionally numerous, and 
successful in rearing its young. The Hawfinch is still on the 
increase as a breeding species in Holderness. The Cuckoo has 
again stayed very late with us, two b-^ing seen at Bempton on 
6th September. The Turtle-dove has this season been observed 
in a new locality, viz., Waghen. by Mr. S. H. Waterhouse, 
but otherwise seems to have made little headway in Holderness. 
To the west and south-west of Beverley, it seems to be becoming 
generally distributed. 
The most interesting event of the season is the occurrence 
of a flock of Pallas' Sand Grouse on the northern slope of the 
Wolds, as reported by Mr. W. H. St. Quintin in " The Naturalist " 
for November, A rumour of the birds being in a difterent part 
