WATSON : ORNITHOLOGY OF SKIDDAW, ETC. 



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and in examining the cases referred to we have discovered four 

 Rough-legged Buzzards (Air/iibiifeo lagopus). The Common Buzzard 

 is an early breeder, and not unfrequently two broods are produced in 

 a season. An authentic anecdote anent this species may be worth 

 reproducing. William Pearson, a friend of Wordsworth's, was a close 

 observer of the birds of his valley. When a lad, he was in the habit 

 of setting 'gins' for Woodcock, and one morning, on going to 

 examine his snares, he discovered a Buzzard near one which was 

 struck. The bird attempted to escape, but being evidently held fast, 

 could not. A Woodcock had been taken in one of the snares, which, 

 whilst fluttering, had been seen and attacked by the Buzzard. Not 

 content, however, with the body of the Woodcock, it had swallowed 

 a leg also, around which the noose was drawn, and the limb was so 

 securely lodged in its stomach that no force that the bird could exert 

 was sufficient to withdraw it. 



The Cormorants {Phalacrocorax carbo) come to the tarns, 

 especially Crummock Water, but are most difficult to approach. 

 They either spend their time in fishing, at which they are great 

 adepts, or sit solitary upon a huge black rock which just rises above 

 the water. Sometimes in autumn a small flock will make its appear- 

 ance, w^hen, from the white breasts of the birds., it will be seen that 

 the majority are those of the year. More rarely, but in company 

 Avith the last-named species, a few Shags or Green Cormorants {Ph. 

 graculus) will make their appearance. 



When the weather is rough, the Black-headed and Lesser Black- 

 backed Gulls {Lams ridibimdns and L.fusais) seem to find food on 

 the edges of the elevated mountain merelets, and daily in late 

 summer and autumn visit the tarns. On wild and stormy nights the 

 Curlews {Nutiienins arquafa), attracted by the lights of our bell-tent, 

 flew and screamed in the darkness. These breed upon the plashy 

 shoulders of the mountains, and in autumn make off to the low- 

 lying mosses and estuaries. Whilst camping, and when we emerged 

 from the flaps of the canvas, it was sometimes seen that a great many 

 birds were around, and our lights certainly had the effect of keeping 

 the ' ling-birds ' cheeping all night. And we noticed that this 

 continued when the short sharp bark of a fox was coming from out 

 the crags. 



The bird essentially of the mountains, however, is the Peregrine 

 {Falco peregri7ius). Since the Eagles have become extinct, this is our 

 noblest bird of prey. It still nests high in the beetling crags, and its 

 nest is most difficult of access. It marauds and plunders the whole 

 district. The gulls and summer snipe of the tarns afford it food, 

 as do also moor-game, ducks, and wood pigeons. A\'e have seen 



June 1888. 



