BIRDS 249 



geese flying from Croglin to the Solway, travelling to the 

 estuary out of the east. My first opportunity of studying these 

 birds in October 1890, occurred on the 24th of that month, a 

 rough, squally day, with a strong N.W. to W. wind, and 

 occasional showers of sleet. On reaching Newton marsh at 

 10.30 A.M. we found the Barnacles assembled on the opposite 

 side of the Wampool. They rose and pitched again in a great 

 herd under the brow of the marsh, ' clanging ' noisily. They 

 appeared to be unsettled. In a few minutes the assemblage 

 split up into two great flocks, the first flighting in a broadly 

 extended file to the N.E., probably to Bockliffe, while the second 

 lot flew in a swarm up and down Wampool, and a few went off 

 in threes and fours. Presently they reunited, and pitched in a 

 long column, many ranks deep, upon the open sand beside the 

 Wampool. The herd was densest in the centre, the birds not 

 being so closely crowded together on the right and left wings. 

 We crept cautiously to the nearest view of the birds that could 

 be obtained, and enjoyed a careful study of their serried ranks, 

 the black jugulum and white belly of every individual showing 

 up to the glass with good effect. Often as I had viewed them 

 before, one could not contemplate a phalanx of a thousand 

 Barnacles without feelings of admiration. After a quarter of an 

 hour's rest, the geese rose again and swept restlessly backwards 

 and forwards as though undecided where to alight, flying now 

 in long extended lines, now many abreast, always crying loudly. 

 At last about half of the number pitched upon the grass of 

 Newton marsh. We approached them cautiously. While still 

 a long way off, one of their sentinels left his companions and 

 flew slowly over the marsh, giving tongue lustily. He circled 

 back to his fellows. They rose again and departed en masse, at 

 least with the exception of four, which settled on the sands 

 still further away. On examining the part of the marsh in 

 which they had most recently been feeding, we found numerous 

 fresh droppings, with here and there a grey body feather. On 

 the 7th of the following November we were walking near the 

 Solway Viaduct at Bowness, when we heard the Barnacles call- 

 ing lustily. In another minute a lot of about fifty passed over 

 us in full cry, flying in a V formation, with a few stragglers 



