( 183 ) 



NATUEAL HISTOEY EECOED BUREAU (1909) : 

 THE MUSEUM, GAELISLE. 



By D. Losh Thorpe & Linnzeus E. Hope, Keepers of the 



Records. 



In the report from this "Bureau" for last year (1908) we 

 referred to the visits of a wild Whooper Swan to the Eiver Eden, 

 and hazarded the opinion that this bird had not yet paired, and 

 that it would be interesting to see what might happen when that 

 important incident in the life of a bird took place. Wild Swans, 

 it is believed, pair for life, and for that reason we felt that if our 

 bird was a female, as we imagined, her mate would be induced 

 to follow her to her winter quarters. This has really happened, 

 and more, for the pair are accompanied by two more birds of the 

 same species — not a brood, but adult companions. 



These four Wild Swans arrived on the Eden on the morning 

 of Dec. 24th (Christmas Eve), and were immediately reported by 

 the park-keeper, T. Hudson. Mr. D. Losh Thorpe saw four 

 Swans flying towards the river from the north-east at the hour 

 they were seen to arrive by the keeper — no doubt the four Wild 

 Swans. 



The presence of four Wild Swans, or even of one, in such close 

 proximity to the haunts of men is, as we have said before, most 

 extraordinary, Wild Swans being amongst the shyest and most 

 suspicious of wild animals. Carlisle is indeed a favoured place, 

 the honour of entertaining such distinguished visitors being 

 afforded to few places ; such an occurrence has never before been 

 recorded in this country. Several other interesting occurrences 

 are reported during the past year. 



Mr. D. Losh Thorpe records a bird new to Cumberland — the 

 Stone Curlew, or Great Plover. A bird of this species was seen 

 by him on the banks of the Eiver Eden, at Caldew Foot, on the 

 morning of March 27th, 1909. 



The date of the occurrence coincides with the arrival of the 

 species in the South of England this year. It was evidently a 

 bird which had over-reached the usual northward migration limit, 

 and was resting and refreshing itself by the river. It had gone 



