The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-08-15
THE RAVENGLASS CUTLERY.
Nesting Place of Birds on Northwest
Coast of England.

At Ravenglass. Oh the Cumberland
coast, three small rivers. descending
from the lake country, flow into the
sea together. They jam and form a wide
and muddy estuary, which is separated
from the sea by bank Of sand hills.
At one end Of this range OF hillocks
there is a gap, through which the tide
rises and falls in the estuary, and the
fresh waters of the Esk. the Mite and
| the lrt make their way into the ocean.
At the other end the sandhills are con-
nected with the mainland near the village
of Drigg, about three miles up the coast.
black-headed gulls have formed cutlery
or nesting colony. The range of dunes is
about half mile wide and three miles
long: On the other side is the Irish sea,
breaking upon a long stretch of sandy
shore. On the other side the muddy wa
ters of the tidal river eDb and flow. At
low tide one can wade across; at high
tide one can cross in boat from Raven
glass. There is always a certain charm
about the flats round an estuary. A
pleasing coloring, strange vegetation
and plentiful bird-life are produced or at
englass you have in addition a back
ground of mountains. The Cumberland
fells rise green and brown in the sun
| shine, with Scafell Pike, capped with
white clouds. in the furthest distance.
TO visit this spot in May, during the
most agreeable and wonderful excursions
that an ornithologist can enjoy. Having
crossed the estuary, YOU land upon
bank Of wet and crunching single;
which changes as you advance, into the
purest and driest sand. In front rises
the long, low range Of sandhills, and
even at distance the cries of the gulls,
flying round above their mates, are noisy
and strident. The hills for the most part
produce nothing but dry, gray sea grass.
Some slopes have nothing on them but
pure, dry drifted sand. Occasionally
are filled with a tolerable turf and car
peted with violets and thrift. Every
where lie broken shells, scraps Of sea-
weed and wreckage, and the bleached
and scattered bones Of deceased rab
bits: How long the gulls have resorted
Under the protection of Lord Muncaster,
the colony has vastly increased in the
last ten or twenty years. Probably it
has existed from time immemorial.
But until comparatively recent days
the eggs were carried off in basketfuls,
and the parent birds so much prosecuted
that they could hardly hold their own.
Now they nest in security. and vigilant
keeper watches over their safety. Al
though the birds have so greatly in
creased in numbers it may be that the
original ancestors of the existing colony
saw the Roman legions marching up
Eskdale, and supplied fresh eggs for the
Roman garrison which guarded the ford
below Muncaster CASTLE Most gulls are
gregarious during the nesting season,
and have strong attachment for their
old homes. Some species choose rocky
cliffs. Others prefer to nest upon the
ground in marshes or on sandhills some
times at some distance from the sea-
The black-headed gulls are of the latter
class and their colonies are we'll known
in many counties. There can, however,
be very few galleries so large and so
fourishing as this present one. Many
their nests, often almost touching, some
times a few yards apart.-London Spec
tatOr.