NOTES FROM NORTH LANCASHIRE. 245 
to these interesting visitors—which will, I trust, increase and 
multiply in their new home—was, as near as I could make out, 
* Kirk-” or ‘‘ Kek-Swallows.” 
June 7th found me on the Cumberland coast, a few miles 
south of St. Bees Head. Here, as on Walney Island, Black-headed 
Gulls, Common and Lesser Terns, Oystercatchers, and Ringed 
Ployers, as well as Stock Doves, Wheatears, and Pipits, were as 
numerous as in previous years. A few Snipe were also nesting in 
a neighbouring marsh. It is perhaps worth noticing that whilst 
the nests of the Common Tern were scattered about all over the 
sandhills and adjoining beach, those of the Lesser Tern seemed 
to le in small colonies amongst the shingle. Thus I found, ina 
space not more than a hundred yards square, no less than twenty- 
five eggs of the latter, no nest containing more than a couple. 
The Sheldrakes, which nest in large numbers hereabouts, were 
just hatching, and I observed four broods of nine, six, eight, and 
eleven, respectively, on the lower portion of the River Irt. 
A month later (July 5th) the young Sheldrakes were still 
enveloped in down, but were able to run with great speed. On 
being pursued at low tide they took to the sandhills in preference 
to the water, nor was it at all an easy matter to overtake them. 
Being anxious to try and rear a few, I took home half-a-dozen 
with this object; but, though they fed well, half of them died 
within a fortnight, and the survivors escaped a day or two later, 
and were no more seen. 
On July 12th I once more wended my way to Walney Island, 
and on reaching the sandhills found that the Gulls had nearly all 
gone. The Terns were beginning to fly, though there were still 
a few recently-hatched young ones about, as well as some fresh 
eggs. The wet weather of the last month seemed to have had a 
bad effect on the gulls, as well as on the young rabbits, as large 
numbers of both were lying dead in the hollows amongst the hills. 
A few old Sheldrakes were visible on the mud, but I was unable 
to distinguish any young birds of this species. Curlews were 
particularly numerous, having apparently returned from their 
breeding haunts inland. 
Passing over the next two months, during which I recorded 
nothing that is worth repeating, I find a note to the effect that 
six House Martins were seen on Walney Island on October 5th, 
and remained in the same locality for several days. About the 
