Page:VCH Leicestershire 1.djvu/164

A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE had taken up their position in the trees and hedge at a particular spot by the River Soar, and were so en- grossed as almost to ignore his presence. Feeling it wa* something unusual which had caused this, he soon ascertained that hosts of winged ants were sur- rounding the nests of these birds, which were making full use of their opportunities. Mr. W. J. Horn, writing in 1907, says: 'The eggs of this species vary considerably, and I have many varieties.' 47. Swallow. Hirundo rustlca, Linn. Locally, Chimney-Swallow. A summer migrant, commonly distributed and breeding. In 1887 I saw a solitary young bird so late as 7 Nov. feebly flying over the houses near Aylestone Church, crossing and re-crossing quite near me several times, this being the latest date recorded for the county since Harley's time. At Aylestone I have found the swallow to be treble-brooded. Elking- ton received a pure white specimen in 1880. In May, 1885, I saw a curious variety, a young bird, in the possession of Mr. W. Whitaker, of Wistow, in which the wings, tail, and back were greyish-white, the throat faintly rufescent, the under parts almost of the normal colour but paler, the head and nape faintly tinged with dusky brown ; the oval spots on the tail- feathers showed but dimly, and were of an isabelline colour. Mr. J. B. Ellis presented to the museum a variety almost precisely similar to that possessed by Mr. Whitaker, which he shot at Bardon Hill 12 Aug., 1886. It was fully plumaged, without, of course, the long outer tail-feathers of the adult, and appeared on dissection to be a female. I think it is, if anything, whiter than the Wistow specimen, but it was not an albino, it having dark or greyish-brown irides. Mr. Palmer, of Leicester, informed me that on 15 Nov., 1891, he saw two swallows on the Melbourne Road, and a fortnight previously he saw a dozen in Spinney Hill Park. I saw a white or isabelline specimen in the hands of Pinchin, who in- formed me that it was shot at Wistow in the summer of 1889 by Mr. W. Whitaker. Pinchin also stated that a pure white variety was shot at Nailstone in the summer of 1890 by Mr. Henfield. Mr. G. Frisby, writing in 1906, gives the following records : ' 1 5 April, 1 906, a few swallows over Swithland Reservoir; 1 8 April, 1906, over 200 at Swithland, bitterly cold wind ; 8 June, 1906, a pair nested on a hair-broom at Beaumanor.' He adds that they roost on the willows at the osier beds, Mountsorrel. Mr. Frisby saw one at Quorn so late as 4 Nov., 1906. Mr. W. J. Horn says that on II Nov., 1905, after a rough night a swallow was flying round his house, and at mid-day it was joined by a house-martin. 48. House-Martin. Chelldon urbica (Linn.). A summer migrant, commonly distributed, and breeding. Being double, and sometimes even treble- brooded, this species occasionally remains with us until very late ; and Harley, writing in 1851, said that he had known the house-martin to remain in Leices- tershire until 23 Nov., and had met with its nest containing young on one of the early days of that month. The Leicester Daily Mercury of 15 July, 1887, records that a pair of martins having built a nest on a house at Melton found that a sparrow had taken possession of it. In revenge the martin built the intruder in, only leaving a little hole through which the sparrow could thrust its head. The bird, unable to get out, died with its head out of the small opening, and was used as a cushion on which the eggs were deposited. The latest date recorded by Mr. G. Frisby is loOct., 1906. Mr. W. J. Horn reports two flying about in Hinckley Market Place, and one flying round his house, n Nov., 1905. 49. Sand-Martin. Cotile rifaria (Linn.). Locaffy, Bank Martin. A summer migrant, commonly distributed, and breeding so close to Leicester as the Aylestone sand- pits. The late Mr. R. Widdowson's diary records : 'Saw white variety sand-martin 1 8 July, 1869.' 50. Greenfinch. Ligurinus thhris (Linn.). Locally, Green Linnet, Green Grosbeak. Resident and common in gardens and fields close to Leicester. I have noticed this bird to be so fond of the seeds of the sunflower as to come into gardens within a few yards of the house-door and take but little notice of people close at hand. Few other birds appear to care for these seeds. The eggs are very variable in size, shape, and colour. Mr. Davenport writes: 'In July, 1883, I obtained a tiny egg of this species from a nest near Ashlands ; it was marked with a wreath at the thin end, and was about the size of a tree-creeper's egg. This species constantly lays six eggs.' The late Sir Arthur Hazlerigg possessed a canary-coloured variety which he shot at Noseley about 1868. 51. Hawfinch. Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pallas. Locally, Common Grosbeak. Resident, generally distributed, more common than formerly, and breeding occasionally. I received three (two immature and one adult female) from the Rev. G. D. Armitage, which were caught at Broughton Astley, on 1 8 July, 1889. Mr. Stephen H. Pilgrim, of Hinckley, shot one there on 1 2 Dec., 1 889, and said that a man well acquainted with birds told him a good many used to frequent the yew-trees in Fenny Drayton church- yard in winter. Mr. Ingram sent me a male speci- men, shot at Belvoir on 3 Feb., 1890. The late Dr. Macaulay reported a male bird shot at Gumley in February, 1890. Mr. Thomas Barwell of Kirby Muxloe sent me one which he picked up there on 13 Dec., 1889, and Mr. S. H. Pilgrim states, on the authority of Puffer, that several were shot some years ago whilst feeding on the fruit of a thorn-tree near the gasworks at Hinckley. He further reports one visiting Croft in the winter of 1 890. The late Dr. Macaulay recorded one seen in the rectory garden, Kibworth, on 15 Nov., 1891, by the Rev. C. E. Crutwell. The late Major H. Jary writing from Bitteswell on 17 July, 1894, said he had a young bird which had become quite tame and was in good plumage. He considered it rare in that stage, although the adults were more common than suspected. A pair was seen by Mr. O. Murray-Dixon at Swithland Reservoir on 22 March, 1903, and he considers them fairly common. It appears to have nested at Bardon Hill, Coleorton, near Loughborough, and in the grounds of Castle HilL 126