390 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



at any rate reported inland, except from the neighbourhood of 

 Alston. Alston lies in the track of many migrating birds, and 

 immature Ruffs have often been shot when resting on passage 

 upon the neighbouring moors. Neither have I seen the Ruff 

 upon the coast south of the Solway. Dr. Gough, however, in- 

 cludes the species as an occasional visitant to Lyth moss. 

 Baxter of Ulverston shot some birds of this species in More- 

 cambe Bay in the autumn of 1890. The Ruff has never been 

 obtained in Lakeland during the breeding season. Mr. C. M. 

 Adamson assured me that he once received from James Cooper 

 a clutch of the eggs of this species, which had been taken in 

 the neighbourhood of the English Solway. Mr. Adamson 

 subsequently presented these eggs to Mr. Hancock. The late 

 Sam Watson was very proud of a shot which he once fired at 

 some Ruffs. A man went to him to say that there was a flock 

 of strange birds on the ' Sands ' near Eden bridge. Watson 

 hastened to the spot and found a party of sixteen Ruffs and 

 Reeves. He shot four running on the ground, and three others 

 as they flew round, bagging six Ruffs and one Reeve. 



SANDERLING. 



Calidris arenaria (L.). 



The sandy portions of our coast, and especially of the Solway 

 Firth between Allonby and Cardunock, are visited by large 

 numbers of Sanderlings, both in spring and autumn, but 

 especially at the former season. Large flocks of these birds 

 make their appearance on the portion of our shores just indicated, 

 about the middle of May, and their sojourn with us is often 

 prolonged into June. Some few arrive in full breeding dress, 

 but some have changed but little, and the great majority have 

 nearly but not quite assumed perfect nuptial plumage. Their 

 numbers vary in different years, but their arrival is an unalter- 

 ing feature of vernal migration. Upon the 30th of May this 

 year (1891) Mr. Nicol informed me that he had noticed the 

 presence of some Sanderlings for some days ; not in the re- 

 markable abundance of 1889, when he estimated their numbers 

 at 3000 birds, but still in very sufficient flocks. About half 



