of Passage in the Neighbourhood of Carlisle. 85 



pecking about near a cottage-door at Middlescugh, and be- 

 ino- considered a great curiosity it was pursued and shot. 

 It proved upon dissection to be a young male ; and not- 

 withstanding its being in very good condition, it only weighed 

 fifteen drams. The stomach contained one entire pupa of 

 considerable size, apparently belonging to one of the Noc- 

 iuidce, and the remains of several others. 



The Hoopoe is enumerated in the Catalogue of Cumber- 

 land Animals, but is most unquestionably of rare occurrence 

 here ; indeed we have strong reasons to believe that this is the 

 only specimen that has been obtained in the vicinity of Car- 

 lisle for a great number of years. 



Since the above was written, we have seen a second speci- 

 men of this bird, which was shot (nearly to pieces) not far from 

 Wigton about the same time as the one above alluded to. 



127. Bittern {Ardea stellaris). — During the months of De- 

 cember, January, and February last, no less than eight speci- 

 mens of the Bittern were killed in this part of the county ; 

 namely, two on Brugh Marsh, a pair in the Abbey Holme, 

 two others near Brow- Houses, one in the parish of Cumwhit- 

 ton, and the eighth not far from Hay ton. This is the more 

 remarkable, as only a single specimen has been met with in 

 the same district for the last ten or twelve years. It would 

 appear from the public journals, that about the same period 

 of the year others were killed in Durham, Yorkshire, Devon- 

 shire, &c. 



131. Spotted Gallimde or Rail ( Gallinula Porzona). — A spe- 

 cimen of this bird was caught alive on Wragmire Moss on 

 the 9th of September ; another was killed in the neighbour- 

 hood a week or two before, which was, through negligence, 

 suffered to perish ; and a third was seen not far from Wheel- 

 ban-ow Hall in the month of August. 



133. Gray Phalarope {Phalaroims lobatus). — On the 31st 

 of October a Gray Phalarope was killed on the estate of John 

 Norman, Esq. of Kirkandrews-upon-Eden, near Bow, about 

 three miles from Solway Firth, and most kindly presented 

 to our cabinet by this gentleman. It proved upon dissection 

 to be a male, and had nearly acquired the plumage of the 

 adults in winter. The stomach contained only a little gravel 

 and the minute remains of some insects. Temminck states 

 that the irides of this bird are reddish-yellow; — in this instance 

 they were exceedingly dark, indeed almost black, when care- 

 fully examined not many hours after it was shot : it weighed 9|- 

 dranis; length 9 inches ; wings when extended 15^ inches. 



Three other s])eciniens of this sjjccies have occurred in this 

 part of the county during the same month; namely, two on 



the 



