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stock of knowledge upon its general Natural History. The birds 
of hardly any two counties are exactly the same. Here, in Cum- 
berland for instance, we have commonly amongst us birds excessively 
rare, or altogether unknown, in Northumberland, and vice versa. 
This at once throws some degree of light upon the interesting 
question of migration. We get birds with us which come from the 
west—they get those from the east, as I believe; not exclusively 
of course, but in part. 
Again, apart from the migration question now, we are 
especially rich in many varieties of the beautiful Wren family, 
that lovely little warbler, most graceful of its graceful kind,* the 
Wood Wren,! and the “King with the Crown of Fire;”? and 
these are birds—except in a few favoured spots—scarcely known 
amongst our neighbours. A carefully prepared case of every 
specimen of the Wren family or Warblers to be found in Cum- 
berland, would naturally attract the attention of one coming from 
the adjoining county ; and so, what to us would appear common, 
to them would seem rare and of interest. 
Again, supposing any one writing or talking of the Zglish 
birds in general were to confine himself—and mind, it is not 
unnatural that he should—to the birds of his immediate neighbour- 
hood, what false ideas would be afloat! and such a one would 
seem to one of another county of equally narrow views, to be but 
talking idly. What I want is, that from these local museums 
should spring, in these days of easy travelling from county town to 
county town, a wider spread of, and more intimate acquaintance 
with, the general Natural History of England as a whole: each 
man’s knowledge of his own district thoroughly enlarged by a 
careful study of the specimens in other counties. 
An English bird is an English bird, you may say; but as I 
have shewn in the case of this county and Northumberland the 
variation, so believe me, in other counties it is the same. 
* The Editor wishes it to be distinctly understood that he alone is- 
responsible for any error in the application of the systematic names given in 
the foot notes throughout this article. 
1 Sylvia sylvicola. 2 Regulus cristatus.—(ED.) 
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