Cll PROLEGOMENA 



of the locality. The woodcuts of the Prolegomena were drawn 

 by Miss E. C. Woodward, whose faithfulness in delineating her 

 subjects deserves a hearty acknowledgment. Nor must I forget 

 to thank Mr. E. Lydekker, at whose suggestion several of the 

 figures were drawn, for his very valuable aid. The courtesy 

 and kindness of my publisher, Mr. William Douglas, have 

 materially lessened the anxieties inseparable from the issue of 

 a scientific work. 



Having thus discharged my conscience of personal explana- 

 tions, which could not well be omitted, let me utilise the scanty 

 space remaining by a brief reference to the past ' Ornis ' of 

 Lakeland. It may interest some readers to know that the 

 Hen Harrier nested regularly on Wedholm Flow down to about 

 1840. Mr. William Timperon well recollects the days when 

 the ' blue glede ' used to try to carry off the wild ducks from 

 his snares ; he himself saw several nests of this Harrier on 

 Wedholm Flow. He knew the Marsh Harrier, and describes 

 its plumage, but it never nested in the ' English Solway ' to 

 his knowledge. A more interesting reminiscence attaches to 

 Kelswick Mire, near Abbey. This locality has long been 

 valuable arable land, but it was not drained until about 1820. 

 When William Timperon's father was born in the farmhouse 

 which stood beside the Mire, about 1780, the locality was a 

 natural morass ; the home of many a Snipe, and ' a serious 

 place for Ducks.' Here, a pair or two of Bitterns nested every 

 year. On a moonlight night you had only to stand at the door 

 of grandfather Timperon's house, to hear the ' bump, bump ' of 

 this retiring bird. As the summer advanced, the }'oung lads 

 of the family used to wade out into the reed beds in search of 

 nests. Sometimes they came across the unfledged brood of 

 the ' Miredrum' Such an event was hailed as an opportunity 

 for making the captives ' spew paddocks.' This interesting con- 

 summation was obtained by spurting water into the gullets of 

 their discomforted prizes. Our last reference concerns the Sea 

 Eagles of Lakeland. The kind and valued assistance of Major 

 Parkin has at length resulted in my tracing the right foot of 

 the Sea Eagle killed at Buck Crag, to the possession of Mrs. 

 Sisson of Clibburn. This good lady recollects Edward Sisson, who 



