206 IJUITISM BIRDS. [vol. vi. 



its note almost as frequently as the Goldcrest and the 

 silence of this example may have been merely an 

 individual characteristic. 



In liis Manual, Howard Saunders did not admit any 

 record of the Firecrest north of Yorkshire, nor did Ave 

 in our Hand-List. The Cumberland record of 1845 might, 

 however, be admitted, I tliink. In reviewing the reported 

 occurrences of the species in the Zoologist for 1889, Mr. 

 J. H. Gurney said (p. 174) of this record that the bird 

 was " identified by the cut in 'Yarrell,' but the cut does 

 not show the distinguishing features well, and Mr. 

 Macpherson is not able to trace the bird, on which, there- 

 fore, no absolute rehance can be placed." But on turning 

 to Macpherson's Birds of Cumberland (p. 8), we find it 

 stated by J. Graham, who killed the bird with a stone, 

 that it " possessed the three facial stripes and golden tint 

 on the body above the wings." In the Fauna of Lakeland, 

 pubhshed in 1892, and therefore subsequently to Mr. 

 Gurney 's article, Macpherson states that " no doubt can 

 reasonably be entertained as to the correct identifi- 

 cation " of this specimen. 



Red-backed Shrike {Lanius c. collnrio). — The only 

 one I saw was on September 30th, when Ave had a gale 

 from the east AAdth driving rain all day. I did not notice 

 the bird until the afternoon, but it might easily ha\'e 

 escaped my attention OAving to the AA'cather conditions, 

 which made observation very difficult. I think, hoAvever, 

 that the bird arriA'^ed in the afternoon for on opening it 

 I found ver^^ little indeed in its stomach. It Avas a j'oung 

 male. There are but very few records of tlie occurrence 

 of the Red-backed Shrike in the TAveed Area. 



Blyth's Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum). — 

 On September 25th as Ave Avere beating out the last hedge 

 before turning homeward just after four in the afternoon, 

 a broAvnish Wai'bler flcAv across from one hedge to another, 

 and on alighting made a double note wliich may be 

 syllabled " tup, tup," sounding something like the alarm 



