NATURE NOTES 
156 
ash, which appeared to be common enough to me, I can say that swallows are to be 
seen about the River Aire for all its blackness. Passing on to the Rivers Whafre, 
Nidd, Ure and Swale, who has not heard of the beauties which these rivers and 
dales bring before the eyes of holidaymakers and naturalists ? After spending 
my summer holidays in one or other of these dales, I can say with confidence that 
any lover of the country will be well repaid for all the trouble he may be put to 
to get to these dales. To an ornithologist it is a veritable pleasure-house. By the 
rivers such birds as the Dipper, Kingfisher, and Grey Wagtail nest and breed, on the 
surrounding hills and moors the Snipe, Golden Plover, Curlew, and occasionally 
a Dunlin, are to be found. In one dale there is a last haunt of the Raven, that 
outlaw of the wilds. 
120, Belle Vue Road, Leeds, S. Hole. 
June 12, 1907. 
528 . In the June issue of Nature Notes Mr. Daubeny has a note on the 
“ unlovely scenery ” of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It would he interesting to 
learn what part of either of the two counties is referred to. Even in East Lanca- 
shire, where most of the mills are erected, the swallow is not “ absent,” nor do 
the trees on the banks of “the poisoned waters” die “by inches.” Most 
persons, I am afraid, obtaining their impressions of Lancashire from the railway- 
carriage window, imagine nothing but blighted, blackened country— an inferno 
of mill chimneys and sulphurous smoke. But away — and not very far away — 
from the railway track, it is possible to find “flies” living on the surface of the 
waters, and to cross a river without “holding” one’s nose, yea, and even to find 
“living things” dwelling in the waters. Lancashire certainly cannot claim to 
be the most beautiful county in England, but, in spite of its manufactures, it is 
assuredly not quite such a hideous place as Mr. Daubeny’s correspondent would 
make it. 
Blackburn, P. P. 
June 14, 1907. 
NATURAL HISTORY QUERIES. 
125. Bee Orchid. — I have just returned from a visit to a country house on 
the Hog’s Back, between Guildford and Farnham. My host has a field in 
which large quantities of Bee Orchids have recently appeared. The plants 
are unusually vigorous, some of them having as many as eight blooms on a spike. 
My friend has lived in the house for sixteen years, and Ophrys apifera has only 
occurred very sparsely during that period, and not at all in that particular part 
of his grounds. Can you tell me whether the orchids have come from seed, 
or whether the tubers have been lying dormant all these years, and have only 
thrown up spikes in this exceptionally wet season ? It seems unlikely that 
they could have “ marched” from one part of the ground to another— a distance 
of some hundreds of yards. 
IValton-on-the-lIill, M. J. Tkesdai.E. 
July 12, 1907. 
[I think it most probable that the Bee Orchids are seedlings. The species is 
self-fertilising and produces plenty of fertile seed. Its main difficulty seems to be 
with grass or other close-growing surrounding vegetation. — Et). N.N.~\ 
126. A Stone with Curious Markings.— In this neighbourhood (Vale 
of Conway), there is an upright stone, now used as a gate-post, on which I notice 
a series of curious parallel slanting lines. They are about a <|uarter of an inch in 
depth, and seem much worn with age ; they do not appear to me to be glacier 
scratchings, nor do I think them the result of plough scorings or cart wheel 
scrapings. I should be glad to send a drawing of the stone toany Selbornian who 
can throw light on the subject. 
I'fynnon Bedr, l.lanbedr, Angela Brazil. 
Tal-y-Cafn, R.S.O., North lyales. 
