ORNITHOLOGY OF NORTH TYNE. 101 
Above thirty years ago, one of the Woodpeckers, the lesser 
spotted, was killed in Hesleyside woods, but the specimen was 
not preserved. 
The Night Jar or Goat-sucker is still tolerably frequent, and 
sometimes alarms the belated traveller with its singularly mourn- 
ful cries. 
The King-fisher is but rarely seen, but is found occasionally 
all the way up the valley of the Tyne. During the hard winter 
of 1860, a king-fisher was observed to dash itself down three 
times in succession upon the clear ice of a little burn at Hawk- 
hope, near Falstone. The bird was no doubt starving, and was 
attracted by a fish beneath the ice. 
The Grasshopper Warbler is frequent, and all the species of 
Titmice are to be met with in the woods. 
The common Crossbill often haunts the pine plantations in 
immense flocks, but has not, we think, been known to breed 
here. The Siskin is found here all the year round. Of game 
there are the usual species; but we may mention, that it is only 
within the last forty years that Black-game have become as 
abundant as they are at present. At that time too, Pheasants 
were extremely rare. We have heard an old sportsman tell in 
our youth of the sport they used to have in the early spring, 
going out ‘‘a cocking,” z. ¢., shooting the cock-grouse when he was 
calling; just as the Norwegians destroy the Capercailzie at the 
present day. We possess a good specimen of the old grey hen 
assuming the plumage of the black cock. It was shot about 
eighteen years ago, out of a flock of black game at the feeding 
place, above the keeper’s house. The other birds, were observed 
by the keeper to be persecuting this one. 
The Quail is occasionally killed here by sportsmen. 
The Bittern has been shot within a few years, upon the 
Reed. On the extensive morasses to the south-west the 
Redshank and the Dunlin still breed, and the Godwit (black- 
tailed), has been likewise killed. 
We possess a fine specimen of the great or solitary Snipe, 
which was shot in 1836 at Buteland. The bird was so fat that 
it burst open when it fell. An albino variety of the common 
Snipe, of a cream colour, was killed at Clintburn in 1838. | 
