NOTES FROM NORTH LANCASHIRE. 2438 
enjoy the unusual and pleasurable excitement afforded by a ten- 
mile spin without a break (the ferry excepted), amidst some of 
the finest scenery which our island affords. As might be expected, 
the wildfowl, which are generally to be found upon the lake, were 
considerably inconvenienced by the ice, and were under the 
necessity of confining themselves to the small pieces of open water 
which, from some unknown cause, always exist on Windermere, 
no matter how severe the winter may be. For some days one of 
these open spaces was frequented by a flock of Wild Swans; and 
on one occasion, by keeping under the shelter of a rocky islet 
whieh lies off the mouth of Cunsey Beck, I was able to skate up 
to within twenty yards of a flock of Widgeon which were peacefully 
disporting themselves in a hole in the ice, which, sad to relate, 
had been made by two unfortunate men who had been drowned 
there the previous day. Several other species of Duck frequented 
the lower lake, and on the 25th I saw a couple of Little Grebes 
diving about near Belle Grange in a patch of open water which 
was frozen over the same evening. All the other wildfowl were, 
however, far outnumbered by the Coots, and a more amusing sight 
could scarcely be imagined than a flock of these ungainly birds 
sprawling over the ice, vainly endeavouring to make their way 
across the glassy surface in their search for open water and fresh 
feeding grounds. 
Throughout February and March the cold still continued 
with more or less severity, and on the 22nd of the latter month 
the ice on a tarn up in the hills showed no signs whatever of 
giving way. Nevertheless evidences of spring were at hand. On 
March 10th, considerably later than usual, the Black-headed Gulls 
had donned their summer plumage; by the same date numbers of 
Chaffinches, all cock birds, had reached their summer quarters. 
On the 16th the Rooks were building at Furness Abbey, and the 
Jackdaws were taking a preliminary survey of their nesting-places 
amongst the venerable ruins; whilst, ten days later, as already 
recorded in ‘The Zoologist’ (1879, p. 488), a Raven’s nest was 
found, and, I regret to add, five eggs on the point of hatching 
were taken amongst the rocky slopes of Skiddaw. 
Notwithstanding, too, the weather, the summer migrants 
appeared with their accustomed regularity and in fair numbers. 
The first two Swallows were observed at Barrow on April 12th; 
two days later a Wheatear had found its way to Walney Island. 
