430 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



from unlikely ; but all our accredited colonies are established 

 upon more or less extensive grouse moors. Dr. Gough remarks 

 in his MS. notes that this Gull breeds abundantly upon Foul- 

 shaw moss, a fact already familiar to most Lancashire ornitho- 

 logists. The persistency with which this colony manages to 

 maintain its footing is the more remarkable because at one time 

 strenuous efforts were made to induce the Gulls to shift their 

 quarters. Many of the old birds were shot and killed, so that 

 when Mr. Mitchell visited Foulshaw in 1885 he found that the 

 Lesser Black-backed Gulls had nearly disappeared from their 

 nursery. But the proprietor relaxed his orders for their destruc- 

 tion, with the result that in 1891 their numbers had resumed 

 their former flourishing proportions. Another fine colony of 

 Lesser Black-backed Gull exists on Eoudsea, where I saw many 

 eggs and young birds in the present year [1891]. There are no 

 more colonies of this Gull in our faunal area until we reach the 

 mosses on our northern boundary. Butterburn Flow is the only 

 inland colony. Travelling westward, thence, we come to the 

 gulleries established on Solway Flow and Bowness moss. The 

 neighbouring colony upon Wedholm Flow appears to have 

 been transferred to Bowness Flow. Many pairs nest upon 

 Solway Flow in spite of the destruction of a large proportion of 

 their nests, but more young are reared upon Bowness moss. 

 The nests of this species are usually built early in May, con- 

 structed of heather and grasses ; or, as Mr. W. Duckworth has 

 pointed out, in some instances of bog-bean. The eggs are laid 

 from May to July, but the Lesser Black-backed Gull does not 

 commence to breed as early as the black-headed species. Even 

 before laying has commenced the breeding pairs swoop down 

 menacingly in advance of intruders. Although none but full- 

 dressed birds engage in the duties of nidification, it is usual to 

 see one or two immature birds drifting about the skirts of the 

 breeding-colony at Bowness. Even in nesting-time a dozen or 

 so of old birds may be observed clustering on the sands on the 

 opposite side of the neighbouring estuary at low water, occa- 

 sionally rousing themselves to run a few paces, opening their 

 wings and often clamouring ; at high tide the mosses they 

 affect become white with the birds that are nesting in the 



