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ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD FOR CUMBERLAND, 
JANUARY, 1887—JUNE, 1888. 
By H. A. MACPHERSON, M.A., M.B.O.U., CARLISLE, 
AND W. DUCKWORTH, ULVERsTON. 
One of the chief charms of Zoology lies in the abundance of fresh 
_ facts that from time to time reward the zealous student ;—and we 
are glad to say that the facts which will be noticed in the present 
report, represent a small portion only of the incidents detailed in 
_ our notebooks and ledgers. 
At the outset, we feel it right to call attention to the insufficiency 
of the protection at present vouchsafed to our nesting birds. 
Of our really local birds, the Pied Flycatcher is a prime favourite. 
For the last ninety years at least, very large numbers have been 
accustomed to repair to the fine hanging timber which clothes the 
banks of the river Eamont at Lowther. But when the birds 
arrived in their old haunts on April 25th, 1888, they found that 
most of the old trees in which they and their forefathers had 
nested, had been cut down during the winter. The birds were 
obliged to scatter in search of fresh quarters, and an historic 
breeding colony has thus been reduced for the present year, at 
any rate, to a miserable representation of two or three pairs. 
It is consoling to know that these evicted tenants of Lord 
Lonsdale have not journeyed to the Arctic Circle after his lordship, 
but settled down at no great distance from the now-desolate 
Lowther. 
