B L A C K - H E A D E D GULL.
LJRUS IUBIBJJNDUS.
I HAVE met with the Black-headed Gull all along the eastern coast-line from Caithness to Susses, as well as
off most counties bordering the sea-shore. This species does not ap|iear to have perceptibly diminished
in numbers, though many of their haunts of late years have been encroached on by innovations, such as
drainage or railroads. Usually nesting on preserved grounds, this Gull does not suffer from the persecution
which birds breeding along the sea-coast are exposed to, and when driven from their nesling-places by the
reclaiming of swamps and marshes for Farming-purposes they usually Hud liftle diflicully in selecting suitable
quarters at no great distance.
This species is without doubt somewhat nocturnal in ils habits ; while slaying at the small village at Canty
Bay, opposite the Bass Bock in the Firth of Forth, in the autumn of 1871, 1 often noticed these birds collecting
towards evening along the sands just above high-water mark, and on making further invest igal ions ascertained
that they were engaged in capturing the sand-hoppers, minute marine insects somewhat resembling small
shrimps, that swarm in thousands under the dead seaweed thrown up by the tide and lying in heaps along the
shore. The humming noise that these tiny creatures emit when disturbed is far louder than would he supposed,
and resounds on all sides if the shelter under which they are concealed is in any manner interfered with. While
in quest of specimens of the Mack-headed Cull in its various stages of plumage, I took the marks one evening
where a party of these birds generally alighted to feed, and approaching after dark when they were busily
occupied, succeeded in knocking over half a dozen with the two barrels of a 12-bore breach-loader. The slain,
when picked up, proved to be mostly juveniles, though there happened to be one or two almost adults ; all,
however, were acceptable as specimens exhibiting the different stages through which they pass. These Gulls
may also be seen towards dusk about the Broads in the ea-l of Norfolk, Hying backwards and forwards aeross
the marshes and darting down at the insects hovering round the brambles on the banks, and the reeds and
rushes along the dykes. The light colouring of the ghost moth is exceedingly conspicuous at such tunes, and
I frequently remarked that they were greedily snapped tip by the G nil ; probably oilier insects a IT also capr ured
in localities where these moths are not to be obtained.
Very large colonics of these birds arc occasionally found breeding in company; at Loch Doula near Lairg
in Sutherland, three islands in the loch were almost covered with nests at the time of my first visit in June
18(18. There were also some hundreds of nests on a waving liog to the south of the loch, to wdiich it was almost
impossible tn make one's way, so scanty was I he covering of soil I bat had formed above the decomposing mass of
rotten reeds and mud ou which the Gulls had placed their cradles. A few Common Gulls were also breeding
near at band, their nests being situated here and there in the long heather round the edge of the loch, hut not
intermixed with those of this species.
On my first inspection of this exceedingly inieivsting loch, 1 discovered there was no boat on the water;
this deficiency, however, was easily remedied, as on returning a few days later one of my portable india-rubber