A HISTORY OF SURREY 



(Buctni/l, p. 79). The examples which have 

 been specifically recorded from the county are 

 singularly few. 



94. Carrion-Crow. Corvus corone, Linn. 



A partial resident, and at the present day 

 much less common than in former years. 

 Although it nests in some parts of the county, 

 it is mainly noticed as a winter visitor. Being 

 extremely destructive to game, it is the bete- 

 noire of the keeper. 



95. Hooded Crow. Corvus comix, Linn. 



A winter visitor of much less common ap- 

 pearance at the present day than in years 

 gone by. It visits the county still in severe 

 winters, but not in any numbers. 



96. Rook. Co runs frugilegus, Linn. 



An abundant resident, running right up to 

 the metropolitan area, within which there are 

 many old-established rookeries. 



97. Sky-Lark. Alauda arvensis, Linn. 



A very common and familiar resident in all 

 the rural districts, and will take up its abode 

 on almost any piece of waste land in the 

 metropolitan neighbourhood. A very frequent 

 captive, and sadly prized for its song. 



98. Wood-Lark. Alauda arborea, Linn. 



A resident of extremely local character. 

 Although found nesting occasionally in the 

 county, it cannot be regarded as common in 

 any part of Surrey. It seems to have wholly 

 escaped the notice of many modern naturalists, 

 but is doubtless sometimes overlooked. It has 

 probably decreased in numbers in recent years, 

 as some of the early county observers con- 

 sidered it to be extremely common. 



99. Shore-Lark. Otocorys alpestris (Linn.). 



A very rare straggler ; only recorded once 

 or twice in Surrey (Bucknill, p. 146). 



100. Swift. Cypselui apus (Linn.). 



A common summer visitor, arriving early 

 in May and leaving in September. Not 

 common in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 London. 



101. Alpine Swift. Cypselus melba (Linn.). 

 A very rare visitor ; only noticed on three 



or four occasions in the county (Bucknill, pp. 

 147, 148). 



102. Nightjar. Caprimulgus europteus. Linn. 

 A common summer visitor to many of the 



suitable localities in Surrey. The open com- 

 mon and heath lands offer it a congenial 

 home, and although, owing to the diminution 

 in unenclosed and unmolested grounds, it is 



not so abundant as it was in years gone by, it 

 is still frequent, even near London, in those 

 spots where it can find its requisite food of 

 moths, beetles and other winged insects. 



103. Wryneck. lynx torquilla, Linn. 



A common summer visitor arriving, as a 

 rule, a day or two before the cuckoo. This 

 peculiarity has caused it to be popularly called 

 the ' cuckoo's mate.' 



104. Green Woodpecker. Gecinus viridis 



(Linn.). 



The most abundant and largest of the 

 British woodpeckers. In Surrey it is a 

 common and well-known resident, its loud, 

 laughing cry rendering it very conspicuous. 

 It usually is known by the name ' yaffle.' 

 Near the metropolis it is of course much less 

 often noticed than in the country. 



105. Great Spotted Woodpecker. Dendro- 



copus major (Linn.). 



A resident in the more rural districts, where 

 it nests in the thick and big-timbered woods. 

 Occasionally is found also in the parks nearer 

 London, but is nowhere a common species. 



1 06. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dendro- 



copus minor (Linn.). 



Also a resident, and although, owing to its 

 smaller size and arboreal habits, it is less liable 

 to observation than the preceding species, it is 

 in reality rather more generally distributed. 



[Great Black Woodpecker. Picus martius, 

 Linn. 



Has been recorded on one or two occasions 

 in Surrey, but none of the accounts can be 

 regarded as at all satisfactory (Bucinill, p. 



i57)0 



107. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn. 



A fairly common resident, though owing to 

 its habits is naturally extremely local in its 

 distribution. Has been much persecuted by 

 collectors, and is doubtless not so abundant as 

 in former years. The law has recently helped 

 to protect it. 



1 08. Roller. Coracias garru/us, Linn. 



Has occurred once at Penge, in 1832 

 (Bucknill, p. 1 60). 



109. Bee-Eater. Merops apiaster, Linn. 

 Has occurred twice in Surrey, at Godal- 



ming, and near Walton-on-Thames (Bucknill, 



p. 161). 



no. Hoopoe. Upupa epops, Linn. 



A summer visitor of rather rare occurrence. 

 It has nested on a few occasions in the county, 



2io 



