Notice of the Arrival of Birds of Passage at Carlisle. 337 



is, however, as we have before remarked, very rarely met with 

 in this district*. 



39. Greater Butcher Bird, or Cinereous Shrike ( Lanius Excu- 

 bitor). — During the month of October two or three Greater 

 Butcher Birds were repeatedly seen in the immediate vici- 

 nity of Carlisle, one of which was procured on the 29th, 

 within a very short distance of the suburbs. Upon dissection it 

 proved to be a male, and had all the appearance of being an 

 old bird, notwithstanding the breast and under parts were 

 marked with numerous fine, dusky, curved lines, which are 

 stated by almost all authors to be peculiar to the female. 



The stomach of this specimen was completely distended with 

 coleopterous insects : amongst others we were able to recog- 

 nise with certainty specimens of Hclobia brevicollis (85), Ago- 

 num parumpunctatum (125), Pcecilus cuprcus (181), &c. &c.f 



49. Ring Ouzel, or Ring Thrush (Turdus torquatus). — One 

 of these birds was seen and obtained within a very short di- 

 stance of Dyke's Field on the 5th of April, in all probability 

 on its passage to the Scotch hills. This is the first instance 

 we are aware of that the Ring Ouzel has been met with in the 

 low grounds in this vicinity. 



80. Wood Lark [Alauda arborea), — A male of this species 

 was killed within a short distance of Carlisle on the 4th of 

 February, which is the only specimen we have been able to 

 procure at large in this neighbourhood, where it is of very 

 rare occurrence. We have, however, seen several that had 

 been taken alive by bird-catchers in the vicinity of Dumfries, 

 in Scotland, during the winter months. 



98. Common Grosbeak, or Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris). 

 — From the latter end of January to the middle of March, a 

 Grosbeak was repeatedly seen in the garden and pleasure- 

 grounds of the Misses Losh, at Woodside, about four miles 

 south of Carlisle. It apparently subsisted chiefly upon the 

 berries of the Whitethorn [Crataegus Oxyacantha), being very 

 frequently observed upon an aged thorn, then extremely full 

 of fruit. We have every reason to believe that this is the first 

 instance of the Grosbeak having been observed so far north; 

 and notwithstanding many attempts were made to secure it, 

 it eventually escaped. 



185. Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa a'gocephala). — A young 

 female Black-tailed Godwit, a species very rarely met with in 

 the North of England, was killed on Brugh Marsh on the 12th 



* Lond. and Edinb. Phil. Map., Third Series, vol. ii. p. !»7. 

 •j- The figures attached to the names of these insects refer to the num- 

 bers in Stephens's Systematic, Catalogue of Uritish Insects. 



Third Series. Vol.4. No. 2 J. May 1834. 2 X 



