THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 131 



April onwards. Early in August, immense flocks of 

 Golden Plover desert the fells for the salt marshes 

 of the coast, upon which they live gregariously, 

 frequently associating with Peewits. 



The axillaries of some of the specimens, which 

 we have examined from the Solway, were slightly 

 flecked with grey, but bore no resemblance whatever 

 to the smoke-coloured axillaries of the rather 

 smaller Eastern Golden Plover. 



Genus SQUATAROLA. 



S. Helvetica. Grey Plover. 



The Grey Plover is a winter visitant, arriving in 

 and after September, and occuring irregularly on the 

 coast. Large flights occasionally visit the Alston 

 district, but their appearance is very irregular. We 

 have observed a flock of Grey Plover near Carlisle 

 on two occasions. To the upper salt marshes of the 

 Solway the Grey Plover is a rare visitant, its 

 favourite quarters on the Solway being on the 

 estuary of the Waver and Wampool. Its numbers 

 vary much in diflerent years. During the present 

 autumn, a large flight of Grey Plover arrived in 

 this locality about September 24th, and we found 

 the species numerous on the Waver in October. In 

 company with Mr. Senhouse, we observed one flock 

 of fully fifty Grey Plover, but those we obtained 

 were shot out of very small parties. The Grey 

 Plover shares the gravel beds and mud flats with 

 the Bar-tailed Godwit ; but, unlike the latter, it 

 seldom ventures up the creeks, preferring to feed 



