Page:VCH Leicestershire 1.djvu/167

 BIRDS tall firs at Swannington.' Harley recorded that ' during the winter months of 1839-40 the crossbill came to Leicestershire in large flocks.' In February, 1854, it visited us in small flocks, and Harley exam- ined a specimen which had its bill and feet daubed over with a substance resembling Venice turpentine in appearance, and probably derived from the cones of the fir. The late Mr. Widdowson's diary records : Crossbill killed, Mr. Gillett, u April, 1868.' And the late Dr. Macaulay reported having seen one at Gumley, in 1881, on 1 1 August, an unusual date. Harley recorded for the first time its nidification in Leicestershire in the summer of 1839. A pair of crossbills made their nest in a fir plantation surround- ing the northernmost part of Bradgate Park, not far from a farm-house known as 'Hall Gates.' It 'was fixed on the branch of a thick fir, some 12 or 1 4 ft. from the ground. The young were fledged and dis- appeared with their parents. Mr. O. Murray-Dixon watched a pair for some time feeding on the young shoots of oak trees in Swithland Hall coverts in or about May, 1903. The Rev. Hugh Parry, writing on 30 October, 1906, says he has several times seen small flocks of this bird in autumn. Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : 'On 15 March, 1895, a male and two females were killed near Market Harborough' (see Zool. 1895, p. 233). Of the large race, with heavier bill, known as the Parrot Crossbill, Loxia pityopsittacus, Bechstein, Harley stated, on the authority of Mr. Bickley, Melton Mowbray, that this form appeared to have made a visit to Leicestershire in 1849. With reference to this statement the late Mr. R. Widdowson wrote to me : 'A pair of parrot crossbills, killed close to Melton, are in the Bickley collection.' Un- fortunately, however, with two' exceptions mentioned hereafter, the specimens in the Bickley collection are unlabelled, and in any event the ' Parrot Crossbill ' is not entitled to specific rank. 63. Corn-Bunting. Emberiza miliarla, Linn. Locally, Common Bunting, Bunting-Lark, Writ- ing-Lark. Resident, but sparingly distributed. More often seen perhaps in the winter months, especially near farm buildings, consorting with sparrows and other birds. The Rev. H. Parry obtained a nest and two eggs at Tugby, on 2 June, 1888. Turner informed me of a pied variety which he saw, caught in this county about 1 8 80- 1. The late Dr. Macaulay wrote, in 1892: 'Corn-buntings (very rare) seen here on 30 April.' 64. Yellow Hammer. 13 Emberiza citrinella, Linn. Locally, Yellow Bunting, Writing-Lark, ' Gold- finch,' this latter name applied about Thring- stone (Potter, op. cit. App. p. 67). Resident and common. Mr. G. Frisby writes : ' Largest flight I ever saw was on 1 2 February, 1 906.' 65. Girl-Bunting. Emberiza cirlus, Linn. Rare. Has occurred but once, on the authority of Harley, who writing between 1 840 and 1855 said that he had met with it in company with the yellow bunting, at Thurmaston. 66. Ortolan-Bunting. Emberiza hortulana, Linn. A rare winter visitant. I insert this on the authority of the late Mr. R. Widdowson, who knew of two 18 More correctly Yellow ' Ammer,' ammer meaning Bunting. ' killed with larks ; both young ' (presumably near Melton Mowbray). 67. Reed-Bunting. 14 Emberiza schoeniclus, Linn. Locally, Black-cap (Leicestershire Proverbs), Reed- Sparrow. Resident and generally distributed ; much scarcer, however, in winter than in spring, when its numbers are increased by immigrants. I have found it breed- ing in the Castle reed-bed, Leicester, as well as at Ayle- stone, and have seen flights of immature birds at Saddington, Bosworth, &c. This bird occasionally breeds away from water. Mr. Davenport records a nest of five eggs, built in a spinney at Ashlands, 24 May, 1883 ; and on 2 June, 1885, I had one brought to me containing four eggs, from a roadside hedge at Aylestone. Mr. W. J. Horn, writing in 1907, says : ' Five is invariably the number of eggs in the first clutch. Nine out of every ten nests are built on the ground, but I have found them at an elevation of from 5 in. to 5 ft., the latter on 8 May, 1905, in a hedge by the side of the railway.' 68. Snow-Bunting. Plectropbeitax nivalii (Linn.). Locally, Snow-Lark. A rare winter visitant. Mr. Babington wrote in 1842 (Potter, op. cit. App. p. 67) : 'A specimen shot on the rocks near Whitwick four or five years ago, in the transition from the white to the tawny plumage.' Mr. J. S. Ellis tells me that a small party of four or five were seen at Glenrield Lodge, probably about 1854 or 1855. Turner states that a large flock was seen by Mr. W. Bond at the Abbey Meadow some time in 1870. The late Dr. Macaulay recorded (Mid. Naf. 1882, p. 10) that a specimen was killed at Laughton (probably about 1865), and was then in the possession of the Rev. A. Matthews, and that four others were shot at Burton Overy, during severe weather, in February 1 88 1. I saw a beautiful specimen in the hands of a bird-stuffer, shot in Braunstone Lane by Mr. T. H. Ashby, 7 Nov., 1885. Mr. Stephen H. Pilgrim, writing from Hinckley on 27 Nov., 1894, informed me of the capture of an undoubted snow-bunting at Croft on 4 or 1 1 Nov. the latter, he believed. He saw the bird alive in a cage at W. Judd's, in Leicester, on 1 9 November. He also informed me that Puffer reported having shot one, about 1 88 1-2, in a field near the Wolvey Road, Hinck- ley, about three-quarters of a mile from the town, opposite Sketchley Spinneys. It was feeding with yellow hammers on some fodder put down for cattle, the snow being on the ground. Mr. W. J. Horn, on 28 Nov., 1894, saw a snow-bunting with yellow hammers near Market Bosworth. 69. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. Locally, Shepster, Stare, Starnel. Resident and common ; breeding even in Leicester. It is subject to much variety. Mr. Davenport records a white one seen by him at Skeffington in September, 1878. That varieties will mate with normally- plumaged specimens was proved at Kibworth, from whence the late Dr. Macaulay procured and forwarded to me, on 4 June, 1887, a family party of male, female, and three young, taken from a nest built under This bird is often called the ' black-headed bunting,' a term properly applied to E. melanoccpbala, a very rare visitant to Great Britain, and yellow-breasted with a black head. 129