448 Notice of the Arrival of Birds of Passage at Carlisle. 



Turnstones were occasionally seen on the coast between Bowness 

 and Cardurnock from the middle of May to the beginning of 

 June. A young female was killed on the 1 3th of the former, 

 and an old male nearly in full summer plumage on the 3rd of 

 the latter month. This is only the second instance of the 

 Turnstone having been met with in Cumberland that we are 

 aware of; the first was killed on the borders of Ulles water on 

 the 11th of May 1801. 



1.61. Grey Plover {Squatai~ola cinerea). — Four Grey Plovers 

 were procured on the coast in the month of September. Di- 

 minutive as the hind toe of this species is, it varies much ; in 

 some specimens it is scarcely T \jth, while in others it exceeds 

 T 2 (jths of an inch in length. The Grey Plover is by no means 

 common on the shores of Solway Firth, although there can 

 be little doubt that it is frequently confounded with the Golden 

 Plover (Charadrius pluvialis) by persons not conversant with 

 ornithology. It may be, however, always known with facility 

 by the long black feathers beneath the wing at the base ; or, as 

 Montagu calls them, the inner scapulars, which form an excel- 

 lent specific distinction. 



Dottrel. — On the 12th of May a gentleman residing in the 

 city, when searching for Corncrakes, accidentally fell in with 

 a small flock of Dottrels near Kingmoor House, a short di- 

 stance from Carlisle ; two of which he shot. This occurrence 

 had no sooner transpired, than the remainder were almost 

 immediately pursued, and we have reason to believe that not 

 one escaped. Ten came under our inspection ; the majority 

 were young birds, and not -one had acquired the perfect 

 plumage of the adults in summer. A single specimen was 

 shot on Cardurnock Moss about the middle of August, and 

 another was killed on Cross Fell on the 18th of September. 



The spring of this year was remarkably early, and when 

 compared with the preceding, the vegetation in general was 

 fully three weeks in advance. The temperature of the wea- 

 ther during the last week in March and throughout the greater 

 part of April was unusually mild, warm, and genial. This, 

 however, was succeeded by one of the wettest summers almost 

 ever recollected in this district. It will be seen upon inspect- 

 ing the subjoined Table, that from the 1st of May to the 30th 

 of September, an interval of one hundred and fifty-three days, 

 there was more or less rain on one hundred and seventeen 

 days, leaving only thirty-six fair days, or little more than one 

 month out of the five. 



Several 



