NOTES FROM THE LAKE DISTRICT AND WALNEY- 277 
whole cockles of considerable size, and numerous fragments of this 
and other mollusks. About this time a Red-breasted Merganser in 
immature plumage, was killed on the estuary of the Duddon, and 
brought to a local birdstuffer for preservation. 
At the beginning of February, happening to be on Walney 
Island, I took the opportunity of calling upon the owner of a pair 
of Pallas’s Sand Grouse, which were killed at the time of the notable 
irruption of this species in 1863. 1 was glad to find the specimens 
in good condition, though sadly spoiled in the stuffing. The history 
of their capture is interesting. The man who first saw them (the 
father of the present owner) came upon the flock of, I think, eight 
while out with his gun on the island, but had no ammunition with 
him beyond the two charges in his piece. He succeeded, how- 
ever, in bringing down two, and at once ran home for more powder. 
On his return the rest of the birds were gone, and were not heard 
of again nearer than Lincolnshire, where some were killed on the 
following day. 
The Walney farmers have been cryivg out this winter against 
the wholesale destruction of Short-eared Owls, which have visited 
the island in greater numbers than usual, and might be seen at any 
time of day hawking after the mice, which here abound, owing 
I presume to the absence of their natural enemies. The first flight 
appeared, with the Woodcocks, on October 28th, and throughout 
the following month numbers were killed almost daily. I doubt, in 
fact, whether one in a dozen lived to depart again in the spring. 
Long-eared Owls may also be seen every winter in Sowerby Wood, 
an extensive coppice to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. This 
wood is noted for its Woodcocks, and I may mention, as a fact 
which I have not hitherto seen noticed, except by a single writer 
in ‘ The Field, that those which breed there annually depart with 
their young, about July; at least, I gather from those who are most 
likely to know that although old birds are tolerably plentiful, and 
young ones have been found in June, none are ever seen in August 
and September. 
On the whole, what are known as rare birds have been extremely 
scarce during the past twelve months, the only one which has 
actually come under my observation being a specimen of Teng- 
malm’s Owl, which was killed by a gamekeeper at Irton, in 
Cumberland, in October last. 
