Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/142

120 notice during the year was an Osprey, shot in a wood close to this town on May 11th. Its dimensions, as taken by myself, were:—spread of wings, five feet six inches; total length, two feet one inch; and the weight was four pounds and a quarter.

My remaining notes for the month of May show that on the 2nd a flock of several hundred wild geese were seen flying north across the River Duddon about 8 a. m. On the 5th a local gunner obtained a number of Turnstones in full plumage—a fact which affords a strong argument for those who would place all sea and shore birds under the protection of an Act of Parliament, inasmuch as to omit a bird, such as the Turnstone, affords a loophole to any one who wishes to elude the Acts of Parliament at present in force, and enables them to shoot almost ad libitum throughout the close season. On the 12th, although young Black-headed Gulls were beginning to appear on Walney Island, the Herring Gulls on the rocky ledges of St. Bees Head showed no signs of hatching.

The Terns on Walney began to lay as soon as the Gulls had hatched, but their eggs were not plentiful before the commencement' of June. Oi; the 21st of the latter month I found in the Gullery a young Sandwich Tern almost ready to fly, as well as three freshlylaid Oystercatcher's eggs, probably a second brood. On June 2nd a friend dug out a nest containing Shieldrake's eggs from amongst some sand-hills on the Cumberland coast, but an attempt to hatch them out under a hen unfortunately failed. Towards the end of July numerous broods of the young of this species might be seen amongst the sand-hills, ready at the first alarm to take refuge in a rabbit- hole.

Two Woodcock's eggs were brought to me on the 30ih June, which had been taken in the early part of the season in a wood close to this town; and on the 5th I put up a pair of Long-eared Owls in the same wood, and was assured by a friend that he had taken their eggs there in previous years.

At the beginning of July I chanced to be on the railway which skirts the estuary of the Duddon, when a Kestrel rose from the embankment, within a few yards of me, with a large object in its claws. By shouting and waving the fishing-rod I had in my hand I induced it to drop its prey, which on examination proved to be a full-fledged young Cuckoo, dead though still warm. Notwithstanding its size, the hawk seemed to experience little difficulty in rising with its burden.