Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6 (1902).djvu/447

Rh 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 conclude 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.

(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.

(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