A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE ].e'zh, writing in 1700 in his History of Lancashire [i. 195), records : 'About two years ago in the same violent hail storm [which brought the Tropic Bird, see p. 198 infra] the Brazilian magpie was "found dead on the coasts of Lanca- shire." ' The figure 2 on ' Table ye I of Birds,' opposite p. 195, represents unquestionably a Toucan, but as Professor Newton suggests {Diet, of Birds, s.v. Toucan, p. 977), it may have escaped from captivity. Some probability, how- ever, is given to its having really been brought by the storm from the occurrence of another southern and western bird — * the Tropic bird ' — thrown on the Lancashire shore by the same storm.] 100. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn. A resident occurring on streams and meres, where not too frequented, in large and apparently increasing numbers through the operation of the Protection Acts. It occasionally nests on sea- washed clifis. 101. Roller. Coracias garrulus, L,r . An irregular summer migrant of whose occur- rence some half dozen records, more or less authentic, exist. 102. Hoopoe. Upupa epops, Linn. Formerly an irregular visitor to Lancashire, occurring generally in spring and autumn, more rarely in winter and summer ; now very rare. A specimen taken at Knowsley in 1815 is pre- served in the Lord Derby Museum, Liverpool. A late visit on record is from Walney Island in 1884. {},la.cpheTSon, Fauna of Laie/and, p. 169.) A specimen shot at Sale near Manchester in 1905 passed through Mr. H. Murray's hands. 103. Cuckoo. Cuculus canorus, Linn. A constant annual summer visitor. It is still to be heard in the larger shrubberies even within the city bounds, generally in the stillness of the early morning before the din of its turmoil begins. 104. White or Barn-Owl. Strix fammea,h'mn. Locally, Hovv'let, White Owl. A resident species and quite common. 105. Long-eared Owl. Asio otus (Linn.). A resident, but more sparsely distributed than the last species, yet plentiful in some parts of the county. Nests in Witton Park, Blackburn. [Zoohgist, 1904, p. 259.) 1 06. Short-eared Owl. Asio accipitrinus (Pallas). The short-eared owl arrives in small companies generally in autumn and winter, and becomes fairly evenly distributed over the county. A good few remain and nest annually in suitable spots, such as unfrequented moors and dry mosses. It was seen in considerable numbers at Walney despite the It is more tengmalmi Island in 1891, and a pair bred there in 1885, as certified by Mr. Howard Saunders. (Mitchell's Birds of Lancashire^ ed. 2, p. 11 7O 107. Tawny Owl. Syrnium aluco (Linn.). Locally, Wood-owl. Resident and still fairly common persecution to which it is subjected, frequent in our wooded districts. 108. Tengmalm's Owl. Nyctala (J. F. Gmelin). A single specimen is recorded as taken near Preston in Mitchell's Birds of Lancashire, ed. 2, p. 119, the bird being now in the Nottingham Town Museum. 109. Little Owl. Athene noctua (Scopoli). The single record for Lancashire occurs in the Naturalist's Scrap-book, 1863, part 5. 1 1 o. Scops-Owl. Scops giu (Scopoli). One insufficiently authenticated occurrence of this bird is on record. (Mitchell, Birds of Lan- cashire, ed. 2, p. 120). 111. Marsh-Harrier. Circus aru^nosus (Linn.). Formerly a not uncommon straggler over most of the low-lying parts of the county, but now very rare. 112. Hen-Harrier. Circus cyaneus i^xvi^. Locally, Ringtail, Blue Glede. Rather rare. It nests from time to time a- mong the Fells, and is seen occasionally still on the low heather-clad hills and on the plain. 113. Montagu's Harrier. Circus cineraceus (Montagu). Has been recorded twice from Lancashire, once from Walney Island in 1874, and once from Whitendale Moor in 1889 (Mitchell's Birds of Lancashire, ed. 2, p. 123.) 114. Buz2iard. Buteo vulgaris. Leach. A local much persecuted resident, nesting now only in our lake districts, where it receives less molestation from gunners and gamekeepers. The bird breeds more abundantly in Westmor- land and also numerously in Anglesea, and from these localities many of our Lancashire frequenting individuals doubtless come. 115. Rough-legged Buzzard. Buteo lagopus (J. F. Gmelin). A rare autumn visitor, putting in an appearance at intervals of a few years in the neighbourhood of the rabbit warrens along our coasts or in the interior of the county. 116. Spotted Eagle. Aquila maculata (J. F. Gmelin). One occurrence of this species is recorded for 1875 from Walney Island by Mr. W. A. Durn- ford in his Birds of Walney (1883). 196
