242 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



anxious movements that three nests at least must be somewhere 

 about the islands of the lough. Unfortunately for us, owing to 

 the great depth of the black soft mud forming the bottom of 

 these loughs, it was quite impossible to wade out to the islands, 

 except where the roots of the water-plants supported our feet, 

 but the plants were too scarce to be available. While walking 

 around this lough, vainly seeking a passage, we disturbed a pair of 

 Dunlins, but though we made a long and careful search for the 

 nest, were not successful in finding it. Although so far fortunate 

 in discovering a breeding haunt of the Common Gull, we had not 

 found the particular lough reported to me of which we had come 

 in search. We again questioned the boy, but he knew of no other 

 lough, nor of one where Gulls built on the tree-stumps of an old 

 submerged forest, as had been described to me. Finding the boy 

 therefore of no further use as a guide, we decided upon going in 

 different directions over the bog, and, while time allowed, 

 persevere in searching for the missing Lough-na-Crumpawn, 

 "the lough of the stumps." 



Dr. Darling and I then proceeded to examine some small 

 pools that appeared about a quarter of a mile off, at the same time 

 James Darling and the boy went off in the opposite direction to 

 a little ridge about twice that distance away, from which they 

 could obtain a better view over the surrounding bog, and perhaps 

 discover the particular lough of which we were in search. Soon 

 we heard the boy whistle, and saw James Darling run to meet 

 him (we afterwards learnt that just then he had come upon a 

 Dunlin's nest with four eggs). We then saw them walk to the 

 top of the ridge, and then James Darling immediately whistled, 

 and waving his hat to us disappeared over the ridge. Not seeing 

 him return, we concluded that he must have discovered the 

 lough ; so as soon as we finished exploring those we were at, 

 without finding anything, we hastened after him, and on reaching 

 the top of the ridge we saw to our delight, in a hollow about half 

 a mile away, the lough we were in search of, easily identified by 

 the tree-stumps studding its surface. A number of Gulls were 

 flying over the head of our friend, who was wading out through 

 the muddy water to where the Gulls had nests. 



On reaching the water we soon had eight pairs of Larus caiuis 

 flying around us, and found eight nests composed of dried grass 

 on the tree-stumps ; James Darling visited seven of these, and 



