152 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



Order PASSERES. Fam. CORVIDjE. 



CHOUGH. 



Pyrrhocorax graculus (L. ). 



Our earliest reference for the existence of this Chough in 

 Lakeland is furnished by Dr. Stanley, who in 1829 included it 

 in his local list as ' rare ' in the neighbourhood of Whitehaven. 

 Rare it continued to be. Indeed, its existence on the pre- 

 cipices at Sandwith was known to very few, including M'Comish 

 of Stranraer, from whom I learnt that two or three pairs of 

 Choughs nested near St. Bees until about the year 1860. Possibly 

 the colony was exterminated by the Peregrines which from time 

 to time frequented the same range of sandstone cliffs. At any 

 rate, the younger Hey sham can hardly have been aware of the 

 Chough existing on our coast, or he would not have sent to the 

 Isle of Man for Chough's eggs. Sir W. Jardine informed T. C. 

 Heysham, that when he visited the Isle of Man in 1827, 'we 

 were rather late to procure the eggs of the birds, which we 

 regretted on account of the Red-legged Crows, a most abundant 

 bird, but all with young.' Professor Newton included this 

 Chough as having nested in Cumberland and Westmorland, on 

 the authority of Mr. A. G. More, who kindly tells me that 

 he received his information from C. S. Gregson, who assured him 

 that this species nested at Whitbarrow, a range of limestone 

 precipices commanding a fine view of Morecambe Bay. In reply 

 to my inquiries, Mr. Gregson has recently written : ' I have a 

 Chough in my collection of British Birds obtained at Whit- 

 barrow. I was not aware there was any doubt about the 

 Chough being there in the old time. I have not visited the 

 place for some years.' The Rev. J. E. Kelsall most kindly 

 undertook to call in person upon Mr. Gregson. He ascertained 

 that Mr. Gregson's Chough was killed at Whitbarrow between 

 1862 and 1865. This date harmonises perfectly with the time 

 at which this veteran naturalist informed Mr. A. G. More that 

 the species bred at Whitbarrow. The only * Solway ' Chough 

 that we know T. C. Heysham to have seen came under his 

 notice in the Carlisle Market, November 20, 1849. This he 



