A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 
84. Hooded Crow. Corvus cornix, Linn. 
Locally, Blue Crow, Norwegian Crow. 
A winter visitant in very sparing numbers ; 
single birds are considered rare by the country 
people, and large flocks are quite unknown 
in this county. It breeds as near as the Isle 
of Man, and hybrids between the present form 
and the black carrion-crow have at least twice 
been procured in the county. Perhaps the 
finest of these is a bird obtained at St. Bees, 
which I secured at the sale of the Distington 
Museum in August, 1899. I purchased the 
other from the widow of the late J. Barnes, 
by whom it had been obtained in Wastwater. 
They are preserved in the Carlisle Museum. 
85. Rook. Corvus frugilegus, Linn. 
Locally, Crow. 
Thousands of pounds are sacrificed every 
year by farmers, owing to the ravages inflicted 
on their crops of corn and roots by this pest. 
Proscribed in the county since at least 1620, 
it continues to increase, and its damages to 
turnips, potatoes and wheat are enormous. 
Even after the grain has been stacked, this 
voracious bird abstracts large quantities, and 
by burrowing through the thatch admits the 
rain into the centre of what remains. On 
the sea shore it feeds upon the worms which 
would otherwise supply subsistence to curlews 
and other waders. It destroys a quantity of 
grub; but it is an arrant poacher, and pretty 
nearly omnivorous. 
86. Sky-Lark. Alauda arvensis, Linn. 
A partial resident, abundant in most parts 
of the county, but almost absent from a few 
fell districts. As lately as the seventeenth 
century, numbers of sky-larks were sold at 
Carlisle and other towns for the table, gener- 
ally fetching from threepence to fourpence 
per dozen. Large numbers of those reared 
with us appear to migrate, being replaced by 
fresh arrivals from other districts, especially 
after a change of weather. In 1899 a fall of 
snow occurred in Scotland and the north of 
England in the early hours of December 12th, 
and in the neighbourhood of the Solway this 
was followed by a heavy migration from north 
to south or south-west. Sky-larks appeared in 
great numbers, and passed along the coast from 
daylight until 2 p.m. 
87. Wood-Lark. Alauda arborea, Linn. 
A rare winter visitant to the county gener- 
ally, but it occasionally breeds in the west, 
e.g. at Camerton and St. Bees, and once near 
Brampton. The only specimen that I have 
seen from the east of the county was shot 
near Alston in March, 1866, and is now in 
the Carlisle Museum. 
88. Shore-Lark. Otecorys alpestris (Linn.). 
A rare winter visitant, hitherto met with 
only in the neighbourhood of the coast-line. 
In February, 1890, three shore-larks fre- 
quented the edge of Skinburness Marsh for 
some days when they were shot for the Car- 
lisle Museum. A fine male was shot in pre- 
cisely the same place in January, 1895, and 
sent to Mr. W. Mackenzie. Three other 
specimens had been procured at Silloth, St. 
Bees and Eskmeals. 
89. Swift. Cypselus apus (Linn.). 
Locally, Devilin, Killdevil, Black Martin. 
This summer visitant may often be seen 
soaring above the crests of our highest hills, 
and rears its young in many of our villages. 
Though less influenced by favourable winds 
for its journey northward than many other 
species, the swift is most dependent upon the 
presence of its favourite insects ; hence a snap 
of frost in the middle of May sometimes 
proves fatal to numbers of these birds. 
go. Alpine Swift. Cypselus melba (Linn.). 
A specimen of this fine swift was observed 
at Low Mill House on July 4th, 1842. It 
first attracted attention by its large size, and 
was shot by the late Sir R. Brisco. It is still 
preserved by his son, the present baronet, Sir 
Musgrave Brisco, at Crofton, where I saw it. 
gi. Nightjar. Caprimulgus europaeus, Linn, 
Locally, Moss-Owl, Night-Hawk. 
A summer visitant to many of our mosses, 
but local in its choice of breeding grounds. I 
have seen fresh eggs as early as May 26th, 
and unfledged young as late as September, 
while my earliest and latest notes of its pre- 
sence at Carlisle are April 17th and October 
13th respectively. A male was felled by an 
engine while flying past the Caledonian sheds 
at Carlisle, on August 17th, 1894, as early as 
4 p.m., and in sunshine. This bird was in 
good condition, but deep in moult. 
92. Wryneck. = Iijnx torquilla, Linn. 
Formerly a regular though local summer 
visitant, well known to both Heyshams as 
breeding near Carlisle, where the last nest 
with eggs was taken in 1863 by the late 
James Fell, who often referred to it. A 
single bird was felled by a catapult near Mary- 
port in August, 1888; Mr. F. P. Johnson 
reported the presence of this species at Castle- 
steads in May, 1891, but I have not heard 
of it since. 
93. Green Woodpecker. 
(Linn.). 
A rare visitor, but a local specimen existed 
in Hutton’s Museum at Keswick as long ago 
Gecinus viridis 
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