174 THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND, 



in the centre of the lake, and compelled them to 

 resort to the rocks on the margin, in consequence of 

 which, the whole of the succeeding young brood, 

 from a sudden torrent of rain sweeping down the 

 mountains, were washed into the sea and destroyed." 

 {Loud, Nat. Hist. Mag., 1829, p. 276). A parallel 

 to these birds nesting on the margin of the lake is 

 afforded by a similar occurrence at Monkhill lough, 

 where a number of Black-headed Gulls nested 

 during a recent summer, in consequence of the 

 water being remarkably low, and a large superficies 

 of dried sedge thereby exposed. 



A single pair nest at Devoke Water, and another 

 pair nest upon an island in Seathwaite tarn, where 

 Mr. T. N. Postlethwaite has found the nest com- 

 posed of stag's-horn moss. The species has so 

 generally increased of late years, that it is probable 

 that one or two other small colonies remain to be 

 recorded. Upon Solway and Bowness flows, many 

 eggs are taken at the beginning of the breeding 

 season, after which the birds frequently scatter, 

 nesting more sporadically. In such localities, the 

 young are of course reared some weeks later than 

 at Ravenglass, where the extensive colony is strictly 

 protected, few, if any, eggs being taken. It is in- 

 advisable, however, to dogmatise as to the exact 

 date of these Gulls laying in any one locality, for 

 individuals vary greatly in their forwardness. In the 

 present spring (1885), we examined two nestlings 

 which could almost fly on the 29th of May, but the 

 majority of young were still small, and a consider- 

 able number of nests still contained unhatched eggs. 



