402 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



with from early in March to the middle of November" (' Manual 

 of British Vertebrate Animals,' 1835, p. 218). 



For convenience it may be here mentioned that a Spotted 

 Crake was seen by the late Edward Blyth in the London market 

 in the month of January, 1831 (Yarrell, 4th ed. vol. iii. p. 144). 

 This will be referred to later under the head of Middlesex. 



Selby quotes Montagu in proof of the fact that it " is one of 

 our earliest birds of passage in arrival, and among the latest in 

 taking its departure." And continues, " Though not numerous, 

 these birds are rather generally disseminated throughout England, 

 in such localities as accord with their habits ; and I have also 

 found them in various parts of Scotland, although Montagu states 

 that in his time, the species had not been observed further to 



the northward than Cumberland By the aid of a dog 



accustomed to pursue these birds, I have (in the autumn, just 

 previous to their departure) sometimes flushed as many as six in 

 a large morass in my neighbourhood [Twizel, Northumberland], 

 the majority of which were generally young birds of the year" 

 (' Illustrations of British Ornithology,' 1833, vol. ii. p. 179—180). 



Northumberland and Durham. — " A resident, and to some 

 extent migratory. It occasionally breeds in the district. A nest 



of eggs was taken at Prestwick Carr, many years ago A few 



years ago another nest of young, just hatched, was taken at the 



same place And, according to Mr. W. Proctor, it bred some 



years ago at Framwellgate Carr, Durham" (Hancock, 'Cat. Birds 

 Northumb. & Durham,' p. 125). See also Selby's remarks relative 

 to the neighbourhood of Twizel, Northumberland (ut sup.). 



Cumberland. — "An extremely scarce resident species, but has 

 certainly bred near Wedholme Flow, where several young birds 



were shot in 1881 Constantly observed for some years in 



Bigland's Bog .... during the entire summer months An 



example in our possession, shot near Penrith, was constantly 

 observed from November until it was shot in the following April ; 

 and a second, possibly its mate, was killed in May of the same 

 year. Mr. J. Armstrong shot another near Monkhill Lough, in 

 June. The Spotted Crake is most frequently shot on the spring 



and autumn migration Mr. Dixon informs us that, when 



snipe-shooting in November, he has shot several Spotted Crakes 

 on Cumwhitton Moss" (Macpherson and Duckworth, ' Birds of 

 Cumberland,' p. 120 — 7). By way of supplement to these remarks, 



