BIRDS 
19. Firecrest. Regulus ignicapillus (Brehm). 
A very accidental visitant. In 1845 Mr. 
John Graham of Carlisle, a keen field natural- 
ist, killed a firecrest at Rose Hill, near Car- 
lisle. It proved to be an adult male, and was 
readily distinguished from the goldcrest by the 
triple dark bands on the sides of the head, and. 
by the golden colour above the wings. 
20. Chiffchaff. Phylloscopus rufus (Bechstein). 
A scarce summer visitant, arriving while 
the trees and thickets that it loves are still un- 
clothed with verdure, and ceaselessly reiterat- 
ing the restless burden of its simple song, until 
it pairs and settles down to the duties of nup- 
tial life. It nests near Carlisle, Gilsland, 
Keswick, Workington, etc., but in small 
numbers ; a pair or two establish themselves 
here and there, but no great numbers congre- 
gate in any single area. 
21. Willow-Warbler. 
(Linn.). 
Locally, Miller’s Thumb. 
A numerous summer visitant, nesting gene- 
rally throughout the county. The vernal 
migration extends over several weeks, large 
numbers having been found to visit the lantern 
at Sandwith Lighthouse as late as May 2oth, 
when most of the summer visitors were ad- 
vanced in the labours of incubation. The 
return movement commences in early autumn 5 
I have seen our hedges crowded with willow- 
warblers on August 10th. Two white speci- 
mens, blotched with olive above, were shot 
near Cummersdale in 1879; in 1885, Mr. 
W. Duckworth saw a very pretty cream- 
coloured variety near Warwick Bridge, on 
August 5th. 
22. Wood-Warbler. 
(Bechstein). 
A summer visitant, fairly represented in 
well-timbered localities, but certainly local in 
its choice of quarters. It is pretty to watch 
the toying actions of paired birds, when their 
erotic passions are in full ascendency and they 
pursue their loves hither and thither in a 
merry game of hide and seek among the green 
leaves of the old forest trees that clothe the 
banks of many of our northern rivers. 
23. Reed-Warbler. 
(Vieillot). 
A rare summer visitant, known to have 
nested once in the Eden valley. A single 
specimen, probably a straggler on migration, 
was seen near Allonby in the spring of 1899, 
my latest note of its occurrence. 
Phylloscopus trochilus 
sibilatrix 
Phylloscopus 
Acracephalus 
streperus 
24. Sedge-Warbler. Acrocephalus phragmitis 
(Bechstein). 
Locally, Water-Nannie, Nightingale’s Friend. 
A summer visitant in large numbers, which 
nests in all of our valleys, often at some distance 
from any water ; though the willow garths of 
our lakes and rivers afford him the most wel- 
come cover. 
25. Grasshopper-Warbler.  Locustella nevia 
(Boddaert). 
A scarce summer visitant, more local than 
any other of our regular migrants, and varying 
much in numbers in different years. A few 
pairs nest in four or five spots near Carlisle ; 
there are also small colonies near Curthwaite, 
Drumburgh and in other parts of the Solway 
plain, as well as in the Eden valley and on 
the eastern borders of the county ; it is less 
often met with in the west of the county. 
It reaches us about April 29th, and if un- 
molested returns to a suitable nesting-place for 
several successive years. Clutches of fresh 
eggs have been found from the middle of May 
to the first half of August. Both sexes sing. 
William Little showed me a specimen which 
he had felled with a stone in a hedge-bank 
near Cumwhinton whilst engaged in singing, 
and it contained a perfect egg. The song of 
this warbler is heard to the greatest perfection 
at dusk and in the hours of early day ; but it 
is frequently poured forth in the forenoon. 
26. Hedge - Sparrow.  Accentor modularis 
(Linn.). 
Locally, Dykey, Blue Dykey, Creepy-Dyke, 
Hemplin (Bewcastle). 
A resident of general distribution and 
abundance, often met with in abnormal dress. 
Mr. J. B. H. Robinson secured a white speci- 
men at Kirkandrews in 1889, and the late 
Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson presented a very pretty 
pied example to the Preston Museum. 
27. Dipper. Cinclus aquaticus, Bechstein. 
Locally, Bessy Dooker, Water-Pyat, Water- 
Crow. 
A common resident on all our wilder 
streams, delighting in picturesque situations 
and nesting among the rocks in Geltsdale and 
most of the prettiest waterside nooks in the 
county. Occasionally the dipper betakes 
itself to the margins of small inland ponds ; 
but running water is most to its taste, espe- 
cially where it boils and eddies among the 
boulders in mid-stream. It has been found in 
rare instances to desert its favourite nesting 
ledges in order to build in the branches of a 
tree. 
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