THE NATURALISTS OF LAKELAND xxiii 



contribution to the literature of the day, and as the work of one 

 afflicted with blindness, showed a remarkable insight into the 

 principles of avian migration. The annotated copy just referred 

 to contains a few simple observations, as, for example, the 

 following: 'The Cuckoo arrives in Westmorland about the 

 end of April, when the mean temperature is about 49°, and the 

 noon-tide heat frequently higher than 60°. This circumstance 

 seems to indicate that a considerable degree of temperature is 

 necessary to this bird, but I heard one crying merrily on the 

 evening of the 23d of May 1814, when the thermometer stood 

 at 41° : the hills were covered with snow, and the wind blew 

 strong from the N.E.' That John Gough was fully alive to the 

 interest attaching to the occurrence of rare birds is evidenced by 

 a few notes which he contributed to Graves' British Ornithology. 

 Of the Little Owl, he wrote to Graves: 'A pair took up their 

 abode in a barn in that village [Middleshaw] in the spring of 

 1811, one of which died by some accident. Another pair bred 

 in a chimney in the same neighbourhood a day or two before. 

 They frequently fly by day, and do not court the shades of 

 night so much as the other species. 1 Whether the species was 

 correctly identified by the blind naturalist from the description 

 of others is not known. If such was the case, the birds had 

 probably been introduced and liberated by some gentleman 

 residing in the neighbourhood. Graves states of the 'Little 

 Awk ' (sic) : ' Mr. Gough of Middleshaw informs us that one 

 was caught, apparently much exhausted, in a brook which runs 

 through his garden, Nov. 21, 1807.' Of the Goldeneye the 

 same author remarks : ' Mr. Gough informs us that some were 

 seen on the rivers in Westmorland, Nov. 9, 1798, which was 

 considered a very unusual circumstance.' He states regarding 

 the Dipper : ' Mr. Gough of Middleshaw informs us that 

 November is the season of full song, and that these birds are 

 exceeding quarrelsome among themselves. They usually build 

 in February, and have eggs early in March, at least that is the 

 general time of breeding in Westmorland.' Strange to say, 

 however, the only personal notice of John Gough as an ornitho- 

 logist that I have discovered so far was furnished by Professor 

 1 British Ornithology, vol. ii., not paged. 



