THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 59 



C. Frugilegus. Rook. 



The Rook is a most abundant resident, and the 

 mother rookeries are constantly sending out fresh 

 colonists in all directions. 



White, pied, and cream-coloured varieties occur 

 with more or less frequency, and we possess an 

 example in which the white and black portions of 

 the plumage are symmetrically arranged, the bill 

 and toes being also half white and half black. 



A bird of the year, shot at Kirkandrews-on- 

 Eden, in September, 1885, exhibits the interesting 

 association of smoke-grey upper wing coverts, and 

 primaries, secondaries, and rectrices barred ter- 

 minally with smoke-grey, together with the usual 

 colour of the species. This bird clearly belongs to 

 the variety figured by Mr. Hancock. (C£ B. of 

 K & D., p. 38.) 



C Corax. Raven. 



The Raven is a local resident, now nestino- in 

 about a dozen localities in the lake district. Durinof 

 the summer months a pair of Ravens may be con- 

 stantly observed slowly swinging around the preci- 

 pices of Skiddaw, or the gloomy cliffs of Honister 

 Pass. In the Zoologist, 1885, pp. 109, 110, Mr. 

 R. J. Attye has described his descent, in April, 1884, 

 to a Cumbrian Raven's nest, " placed upon a ledge 

 of rock about midway down a cliff of 150 feet, and 

 30 feet above the nest the rock beojan to overhanof." 

 Mr. Attye subsequently visited three other nests 

 in the district. The Raven suffers from persecution, 

 but is probably nearly as abundant at the present 

 time as half a century ago. 



