122 THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 



Romans, whose occupation of our county was purely 

 military. 



Edmund Sandford (1675) alludes to the Pheasant 

 as an article of luxury, but does not hint at its 

 naturalisation in Cumberland. 



Clarke writes (1784) — •' The other birds are 

 such as the rest of the kingdom in general produces, 

 except the Pheasant, which we have not" (Survey 

 of Lakes, App., p. 190). It must, however, have 

 been introduced about that time into both the 

 north and south of Cumberland. " The Editors" 

 of Hutchinson's History of Cumberland, in a note 

 attached to their account of the Parish of Mun- 

 caster, as to which their information was derived 

 from the Rev. Mr. Nicholson, remark that the 

 game of the district then consisted of " Hares, 

 Partridges, Grouse, and some Pheasants, introduced 

 by Lord Muncaster." Dr. Heysham, writing about 

 the same time (1794-7), states — ''The Pheasant is 

 a rare bird in Cumberland, but Sir James Graham 

 and some other gentlemen are attempting to intro- 

 duce them into the county." 



The downy nestling of the Pheasant is buff in 

 ground-colour, mottled and streaked with dark 

 brown on the upper parts. During the present 

 summer (1885), a Pheasant chick was hatched out 

 at Corby Castle, covered with pure white down. 



Genus CACCABIS. 



C. Rufa. Red-legged Partridge. 



The Red-legged Partridge is an extremely 

 rare visitant, having only occurred in a very few 



