Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union : Annual Report, 1932. 21 
disturbance caused by the repairing and cleaning out of the dam (H. 
Water worth) . 
The head forester at Bolton Woods flushed a Woodcock on July 26th, 
and not suspecting a nest so late, found that he had put his foot on to 
two eggs, about one week incubated. This was near to Strid Cottage, 
where there was a very late nest several years ago. 
On April 24th one nest of Golden Plover contained three fresh eggs, 
and another four eggs slightly incubated (G. Veale). Yet on June 19th, 
another Golden Plover was still incubating, and the eggs were almost 
ready to hatch (A. E. Pullan) . 
Stray Notes. — There were many more Siskins about in January last 
than during the 24 years I have lived here — in fact in most winters we- 
do not see one at all. On January 24th I watched a flock of quite twenty 
Long-tailed Tits, which is a very large flock for these parts. I was 
hoping that there was a welcome increase in Jack Snipe last winter 
unless it was the same bird that I put up many times over two or three- 
months, as I never saw more than one at the same time. In game birds,. 
Partridges have done badly, Red Grouse poorly, but slightly better than, 
was expected, and Pheasants appear to have done well. Black Game,, 
which have inhabited extreme Upper Wharfedale for a great number of 
years, appear to be slowly increasing. 
A bird picked up in dying condition at Appletreewick, during the 
last week in September, is being set up for the Craven Museum. I 
have not seen it yet, but it is described as a Pomatorhine Skua. If its 
description in the newspapers is anything to go by, I shall be surprised 
if it is any kind of a Skua at all. 
Variation. A White Twite was seen on Haworth Moor, in August (R. 
Butterfield). On July 7th, among a flock of about twenty Mallard, on 
Denton Lake, Ben Rhydding, was one that appeared to be pure white 
and a female. On my trying to get a better view, the flock rose high 
into the air, and apparently left this neighbourhood. 
MAMMALS, AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES AND FISHES 
COMMITTEE. 
Mammals (W. G. Bramley) : — From reports reaching me from 
observers in different parts of the county, Red Squirrels are with difficulty 
maintaining their status. A welcome increase is indicated from the 
Whitby area, though. this is somewhat tempered by the presence of disease,, 
as several dead Squirrels have been observed. 
In spite of persecution the Grey Squirrel is not only maintaining 
its numbers, but is also gradually extending its range, especially in the 
North Riding. The colony at Hebden Bridge is an exception, and is 
only just maintaining its numbers. None have been seen in the Goathland 
district since first reported in 1930. 
Mr. A. D. Middleton, of Oxford, informs me that during 1931 that 
epidemic disease caused a considerable reduction in the numbers of 
the ‘ American Rat.’ He writes : ‘ I got a good deal of evidence, though 
not quite conclusive, that the disease was coccidiosis in the South of 
England, and I got the same organism from Grey Squirrels from Thornton 
Dale during 1931. But as the coccidia can reach a sort of harmless 
balance with their host, and only occasionally crop out as a lethal epi- 
demic, the mere presence of coccidia in the animals does not prove that 
they died of coccidiosis. All the evidence I have fits the conclusion 
that the Grey Squirrel throughout the country did have an epidemic 
of this disease during the autumn, winter and spring, 1930-31, and I, 
personally, have little doubt about it, but I cannot prove it scientifically.’ 
The heavy rains and floods about the end of May are probably partially 
responsible for the scarcity of the Rabbit, many of which were drowned, 
*933 Jan. 1 
