SEA-BIRDS AND PLOVERS. 381 



in the picture to remind one of their elegant, and almost slim, 

 parents flying overhead. 



Boot. I was astonished at the number of these Gulls to be 

 seen round Boot, mostly scattered about the pasture lands in 

 the valleys, but often also right out on the moors. Their chief 

 occupation seemed to be a search for food, and it was interesting 

 to watch them beating slowly backwards and forwards over the 

 meadows, hunting like a Dog, and now and again dropping on to 

 the ground to pick something up. I was rather inclined to con- 

 clude that these birds were non-breeders, and had no connection 

 with the colony at Ravenglass. 



Arnside. There were very few Black-headed Gulls to be 

 seen here. / , 



Herring-Gull (L. argentatus). — I saw a few of these Gulls 

 round Walney Island. The bigger Gulls obtain no encouragement 

 from their smaller relatives to frequent any of the colonies. I 

 saw an immature bird, either this species or a Lesser Black- 

 backed, being chased by a mixed mob of Black-headed Gulls and 

 Terns, who gave it a very rough time indeed, until they had 

 driven it out of their own sphere of influence. 



I have seen it stated that these birds are to be found breeding 

 on Foulshaw Moss, but I could not find any myself, and the 

 keepers told me that there had been none breeding there for 

 some years. 



Lesser Black-backed Gull (L.fuscus). — I saw a few birds 

 of this species round Walney Island. 



Arnside. This Gull is here very numerous round the coast, 

 most of those seen being, no doubt, members of the colony on 

 Foulshaw Moss. Foulshaw Moss is rather an interesting stretch 

 of country to visit for the first time. It is a considerable extent 

 of perfectly fiat low-lying land, which has evidently at one time 

 been very wet and boggy, but is now intersected by ditches and 

 drains cut into the peaty soil, which must carry off much of 

 the superfluous moisture. I have no doubt, however, that in a 

 wet winter it is still very soft. A great part of the ground 

 is covered by a thick growth of heather, and some other small 

 shrubs which I did not know, while running all through the 

 heather is a thick undergrowth of long moss. There are other 

 stretches of ground overgrown with thick tussocky grass, and 



