9322 Birds. 
last year or two, Foulney was a good breeding station for many spe- 
cies; but, through increased travelling facilities, the isle is now visited 
by so many shooting parties that I much doubt whether any birds incu- 
bate here, save perhaps a few pairs of terns or ring dotterells. 
A deep channel still separating us from Peel Island, recourse was 
again had to the boat, which soon landed us near the Inn and ruins of 
the Castle, better known by its other designation “ The Pile of Foul- 
drey,” whose walls, some erect, others toppling or toppled over into 
the sands beneath, have a peculiarly romantic effect upon these open 
sandy shores, which in winter must be bleak and desolate in the 
extreme. The nest of a titlark was the only one found here; but, 
sanguine of good success in the (to me) unexplored regions of South 
Walney, we waded across the sloppy channel, and struck the sand- 
hills a little northward of the Lighthouse. Here a close search among 
the “hawes,” and in the occasional damper hollows, of a couple of 
hours’ duration, was solely rewarded by the capture of a young ring 
dotterell, which, however, caused no little amusement by its artful 
pretence of inability to run, until a favourable opportunity presenting 
it scudded away, with almost inconceivable rapidity, over a long stretch 
of sand, and was out of sight in a moment. 
The western shore was now resorted to, but with no better success, 
and as evening was fast wearing away, we crossed the isle to Biggar, 
and after some little difficulty procured a bed at the ancient village 
hostelry, where the landlord informed us we were too late for the eggs 
* at the south end, as a number of birds (blackheaded gulls, probably) 
had been breeding in the hills still nearer to the Lighthouse than we 
had thought probable, and their eggs having been mostly taken by its 
keeper, he had been threatened with law proceedings by the tenant 
farmer, who claimed all save such as might be found upon the beach, 
2. e., between high and low water. 
Early next morning the exploration of the western shore was 
resumed, at first without discovering a single nest, though ring dot- 
terells were becoming more and more numerous; and when at length 
a spot was reached, nearly opposite North End Farm-house, where 
oystercatchers had bred last year, and where appearances spoke of 
recent occupation also, without any eggs being noticed, we almost 
despaired filling a single box. I soon, however, had reason to suspect 
some nests had been already robbed, and shortly eggs of the common 
tern appeared in twos and threes sparingly, afterwards, however, in 
great numbers, with here and there a nest of the oystercatcher or ring 
dotterell full of eggs, which were mostly freshly laid. 
