346 



JOHN WATSON: EAGLES OF THE LAKE DISTRICT. 



whether this was not an escaped bird from one of the Liver- 

 pool dealers, or from some of the show places in its vicinity. 

 Certainly such birds were there about the time of the occurrence 

 of this particular example. 



The whole of the above has reference to the Eagles where the 

 species is either stated, or specific marks for identification are 

 pointed out. But besides this there are a number of records in 

 which simply the ' Eagle ' is stated, and where there is little or 

 nothing to lead to identification. Under this head, then, must 

 be classed the ' Eagles ' that bred in the parish of Brampton 

 (Aubrey) ; the two seen on the same day by Mr. Thompson 

 near Ullswater; and, finally, those comprehended in the list 

 from the churchwardens' accounts of the parish of Crosthwaite, 

 Cumberland. These are as follows: — '1750: To Mr. Jas. 

 Bowe's man for one old eagle, is.; to Jas. Bowe for two young 

 eagles, is. 1752: To Wm. Ware for one old eagle, 2s.; to 

 Jas. Gateskel for two young eagles, 2s. 1762 : For two eagles 

 and one fox, 4s. 4d. 1762 : For foxes and eagles, £1 6s. 6d.' 

 In the same district to which this list refers the parish authorities 

 kept a rope to use in robbing the eyries, and this was for long let 

 out on hire to the shepherds and dalesfolk. Upon one occasion, 

 when a general raid was made upon the /era natures, there 

 were destroyed ' 15 Foxes, 9 Martens, 12 Wild Cats, besides a 

 prodigious number of Foulmarts, Eagles, Ravens, Gleades, &c.' 

 The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). The Osprey is a casual visitant 

 of not unfrequent occurrence, and appears regularly as a 

 visitant in both spring and autumn. Scarcely a year passes 

 without one being shot, and ifl the autumn of one year no less 

 than five were taken. Their silver crests prove these to be 

 matured birds, though occasionally immature ones have been 

 taken. When passing they invariably stop to rest about the still 

 mountain tarns or the more secluded lakes, and it is mostly in 

 the vicinity of these that the birds are shot. Even if unmolested 

 they rarely stay more than two or three days before passing 

 on. More occur on the autumn migration from their northern 

 breeding haunts than in spring. In an account of the natural 

 history of Ullswater we are told that Ospreys bred in large trees 

 in Whinfield Park, Westmoreland. Sir Humphrey Davy and 

 Wordsworth saw one of these birds fishing in one of the quiet 

 tarns among the hills which they speak of as ' the grey, or silver, 

 or fishing eagle.' The individual occurrences of the birds are 

 too many to particularise, and these seem much less frequent in 

 the north and west of Cumberland than in .the more southern 

 portion of the area. Naturalist,. 



