BIRDS OF SOUTH-EAST NORTHUMBERLAND. 311 



Safety became his one desire. The thrushes, however, pecked 

 at him and beat him with their wings till at length he was driven 

 from the roof to the danger zone between the electrified rails. 

 Here the buffetings were more vigorously maintained ; not con- 

 tent with near at hand castigations, the birds in turn went aloft 

 and drooped with bill downwards and rigid body, with the action 

 and some of the force of a pile-driver, the lower bird holding the 

 victim down the while. Then the bystanders intervened and 

 rescued the stunned bird, and he was seen later in the day in a 

 bedraggled condition, much chastened. He has been adopted by 

 one of the staff at the station." A local name is " Jackjar." My 

 uncle has observed Jackdaws pulling out the nests of Sparrows 

 from the spoutings of the houses at Cullercoats to get at the 

 eggs or young within. 



Carkion-Crow (Corvus corone) . — An uncommon winter visitant. 



Hooded Crow (C comix). — An uncommon winter visitant, 

 only passing on migration. 



Book (Cfrugilegus). — A common resident. Breeding in the 

 vicinity of Holywell Dene. I have also seen them arriving on 

 the coast in March, but only an odd bird or two. 



Sky-Lark (Alauda arvensis). — A very common resident and 

 migrant. I have noticed birds of this species singing while on 

 the ground much oftener than in other districts. A light-coloured 

 variety of this species was shot by Mr. Ewen at St. Mary's 

 Island on April 4th, 1890, and is now in his possession. This is 

 incorrectly termed a "Yellow Lark" in Mr. Tomlinson's book. 



Wood-Lark {A. arborea). — In examining some of the private 

 notes of J. Hancock, I found that a specimen of the Wood-Lark 

 was shot at Hartley Bates in 1876. It was shown to Mr. Hancock 

 by Mr. H Gemmell, of 13, Alexandria Place, Newcastle, in whose 

 possession it then was. 



Shore-Lark {Otocorys alpestris). — J. Hancock, in one of his 

 note-books, mentions that three of these birds were shot out of 

 a flock of five by Mr. J. Kobson, of Percy Street, Newcastle, on 

 Oct. 26th, 1876, on the banks bordering Whitley Sands, near 

 *' Briar Burn." One was so much injured that it had to be 

 thrown away. 



[Alpine Swift {Cypselus melba).] — In the middle part of 

 November, 1910, C. Swan, Esq., of Cullercoats, when walking 



