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WATSON : ORNITHOLOGY OF SKIDDAW, ETC. 



the female Peregrine liy with a Rock-Dove in its talons without its 

 flight being impeded in the least. But the Rock-Dove is a strong 

 flyer, and the Falcon Crag Peregrines we saw strike thrice, ascending 

 betwixt each, l^efore pulling down their plucky game. There can be 

 no doubt that Peregrines are very destructive to grouse ; but it is 

 just as true that they pick off the slowest and weakest birds. When 

 food is scarce on the mountains, they descend into the valleys, and 

 here they obtain leverets and partridges, as well as the larger non- 

 game birds. During the past season two pairs of Peregrines bred in 

 the immediate vicinity of Sea Fell, one of which was not at all 

 difficult to come at. In another locality, where there has been an eyrie 

 time out of mind, we found the Raven and Peregrine building within 

 about thirty feet of each other, and both had eggs as early as the 

 last week in March. This bird, with its swift-whirring wings, bringing 

 death and devastation, is in keeping with the spirit of the mountains. 

 But, like all the rarer birds of prey, it is fast becoming extinct. 

 In a few years it, too, will have passed from the mountains and from 

 our fast-diminishing fauna. 



The Hobby {Faico siihbuteo) is the rarest of the Falcons, and 

 only birds occur at long intervals, when on their autumnal migra- 

 tion. 



Not unfrequently in autumn and during rough weather, the Storm 

 Petrel {Procellaria pelagica) is picked up dead or exhausted among 

 the hills. So many examples of these interesting little Ijirds have 

 occurred in this way that the fact may be worth recording. 



It may be well to give the provincial names used in the Lake 

 District for those species already named : — 



Dipper — -Water Crow, Bessy, Bessy Douker, Water-Ouzel. 



Ring-Ouzel — Mountain Blackbird, Fell Throstle, Ring Black- 

 bird, Rock-Ouzel. 



Pied Wagtail— Water Wagtail, Wattie Willie, Willie Wagtail. 



Meadow Pipit — Lingbird, Titlark, Titling, Moss-cheeper, Lint- 

 white, Heather Lintie, Moor Titling, Field Titling, Meadow Lark. 



Wheatear — Stonechat, Fallowchat, White-rump, Chackbird. 



Common Sandpiper — Summer Snipe, Willy Wicket, Sand Snipe, 

 Sand Lark. 



Osprey — Eagle Fisher, Fishing Eagle, Grey Eagle, Silver Eagle, 

 Fish Hawk, Bald Buzzard. 



Merlin — Blue Hawk, Small Blue Hawk, Stone Hawk. 

 White-tailed Eagle — Cinereous Eagle, Erne, Arn, Sea Eagle> 

 Twite — Lingbird, Heather Lintie, Forktail, Mountain Linnet. 

 Black Grouse — Black Game, Black Cock, Grey Hen. 

 Red (jrouse — Moor Game, Moorbird, Moor-fowl. 



Naturalist, 



