154 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



this bird appears to have abounded in some Westmorland 

 parishes. Thus in 1675 the churchwardens of Orton expended 

 three shillings and sevenpence on the destruction of sixty-two 

 ' pyots,' more than two- thirds of the slain being young birds, 

 for which a halfpenny was given, a penny a head being given 

 for the old ones. 



JACKDAW. 

 Corvus monedula, L. 



Daws we have in plenty, rearing their young in cliffs, hollow 

 trees, rabbit-holes, and church belfries^ The penchant of the 

 Daw for nesting in ecclesiastical edifices led to the destruction 

 of a large portion of the Abbey of Holme Cultram. 'It so 

 happened that, upon Wednesday the 18th of April 1604, one 

 Christopher Harden [or Harding], carrying a live coal and a 

 candle into the roof of the church, to search for an iron chisel 

 which his brother had left there, and the wind being exceed- 

 ingly strong and boisterous, it chanced that the coal blew out 

 of his hand into a Daw's nest which was within the roof of the 

 church, and forthwith kindled the same, which set the roof on fire, 

 and within less than three hours it consumed and burnt both 

 the body of the chancel and the whole church, except the south 

 side of the low church, which was saved by means of a stone 

 vault.' l 



CARRION CROW. 



Corvus cor one- 1 L. 



Fairly distributed through Lakeland from Furness to the 

 border, the Carrion Crow maintains its footing pluckily against 

 many enemies. Nor is it slow to attack a weaker bird. In the 

 neighbourhood of Langwathby I once saw a very pretty perform- 

 ance of this kind. A couple of these black robbers singled a 

 Peewit out of a flock, and made many ineffectual swoops at the 

 quarry. At first the Peewit seemed rather dazed by the attack, 

 which was unexpected, but it soon recovered its self-possession, 

 and showed some good sport before it rejoined its companions. 

 1 Hutchinson's History of Cumberland, vol. ii. p. 333. 



