BLACK-HEADED GULL.
boats dial ban done so much in remote districts was bronchi to llii' spot. On the loth of Juno, after exploring
all the islands anil the miirest portions of the swnnqis to which I could make my way, as well as obtaining a few
youug of lliis species in the down for specimens, I turned to paddle to the shore when- the keepers were
awaiting my return. Nearly the whole of the juveniles that were still uutlodgod had now joined into one largo
body of perhaps twelve or lifteen hundred, and were swimming in front of my boat, when I noticed four small
sharp-winged birds lly up from the surface of the water in front of the swarm, and after skimming round two
or three limes, alight on the shore close to where (he men were making preparations for my arrival and the
repacking of my craft. I had lint little douhl the tiny strangers were Jted-necked Phalarnpes, and one of the
keepers who came from my shootings at Iunerwick in Glenlyon, in the west of Perthshire, called out that such
was the fact before I landed. This man had been present one evening the year liefore in September, when I
obtained a Grey Phalampe in a marshy lield near the hanks of the river Lyon, and was well aware, from having
looked over a work on natural history, that there was another species. The birds took hltle notice of us after
I came on shore, and showed not the slightest signs of alarm, running up occasionally while feeding within
half a dozen yards, and picking about among the stones by the water-side. At this date I imagined the two
pairs must have selected their brooding-ipuirters, ami consequently no attempt was made to interfere with them
before their nest had been detected. After remaining till our portable boat had been emptied of the air and
stowed away in its ease, and our refreshments were consumed, we moved to a low ridge at the distance of aliout a
couple of hundred yards, so that a watch might hi' kept on the I'halaropcs through the glasses, to ascertain if
any of their number made oil towards likely spits where their eggs might be concealed. As the birds all kept
together and gave no signs of leaving the loch-side, I came to the conclusion that they could not yet have
commenced nesting-operations, and determined to take advantage of the tirst opportunity to obtain a shot. On
reaching the shore one pair was observed flying round at a low elevation over the water, and just before 1 came
within range the others rose and joined them; the whole party then swept upwards to a higher elevation
than I had previously noticed and made straight otr towards the north-east. Though a constant watch was
kept for a fortnight or three weeks with but few hours' intermission, both night and day, these wanderers
wen- never observed again in the some locality. Bad there is liitle doubt they were only on their way to more
northern breed in g-i]uartrrs. 1 havealivays regretted thai these Ited-uecked i'halaropcs were allowed to escape,
and should have secured llicm at once, only the fact that a nest and pair of birds had been prcviouslv
obtained at a loan but a few miles distant induced me to believe that these pairs might already have taken
up their summer-quarters.
Early one morning a week or two later, just as the mist was clearing off at daybreak, 1 reached the shores
of tin' loch, and taking up a position among some large dead stumps of trees proceeded to wait and make
observations in hopes that our old friends the I'halaropcs might again put in an appearance. I had baited on the
south side facing the bog on which the Hulls had nested on the inaiuland, and was watching one or two that
appeared excited and were swooping round uttering loud cries, when a wild cat came in view picking its way
stealthily over the swamp with a young Gull in its mouth. I was enabled to see through the glasses that the
bird, which was partially feathered, was dead, and it was also obvious that the feline marauder had not discovered
my presence, a few patches of dead reeds affording ample concealment. 1'nwlHing to disturb the birds on the
loch by a shot, I allowed the animal to depart unmolested with its prey, and it was soon lost sight or, having
turned towards the north, its quarters being probably auion™ the hills near Ben Aniline.
At n rush-grown loch connected by a small stream, navigable for my punt, with Loch fclyn near Tain in
the east of Ross-shire, there was another breeding-place or this species, where immense numbers of noils were
scattered about among the beds of rushes where the birds could find situations sufficiently dry and raised above
high-water mark when floods occurred. On the 13th of May, 1WID, 1 took an egg of a pale blue sliade,
resembling the lint of the egg of a Whcatear, w ithout any markings; the other egg in the uest proved to Is- of
BLACK-HEADED GULL.
the ordinary colouring. Ilepentedly at this station and also at Loch Donla, as well as in other Highland colonies,
I noliced eggs in the nests of very light tints of greenish brown and sometimes blue, but never met with
others without some few s|mts or clouded markings.
While collecting in the Western Highlands in the summer or lUfiS, I thoroughly explored the wild district
around Loch Maree, making my way- into many of the remotest glens : during my wanderings 1 was informed
by the keepers at Letterewe that these Gulls had regularly nested at Loch Gurvnig*; this lonely sheel of
water was situated near the foot of the western slopes iff Hen Slioch and shut in on all shies by high mountains ;
it was discovered, however, on visiting their usual breeding-haunts on the .lib of June, that there ssi not a
Black-headed Gull to be seen about the look Th« cause or their disappearance was quite unintelligible, as
they had never suffered the least persecution, nor had their nests been robbed to any extent: it was doubtful,
indeed, ir even a few eggs had BOOH taken, so inaccessible was the spot the birds bail selected, and such an
unfailing supply of the eggs of the larger Gulls being always at hand un the islands of Loob Marco to snpply
the wants of the crofters. Shortly after our departure on this occasion, a heavy slorm accompanied by a deluge
of rain broke over the district, and Hooded many of the breeding-quarters or Gulls, Ducks, anil Divers,
destroying thousands of nests. If one species could possibly have been impressed by an inkling of impending
danger, and induced to change their quarters, why should not the others have received a similar warning': The
previous year I lieeame aware of the disnppearanee of tin- Snnd-Martins from an island in the river Lyon, in tin
west of Perthshire, and early in June a terrible thunderstorm with a heavy downfall of rain among the
mountains ill the upper part of the glen caused a spate that flooded I he whole of the island on which the birds
usually remained to roar their young, to the depth or between two and three feclf.
In the east of Norfolk I learned from the marshmcn who had passed their lives fishing and shooting on
the Broads about Potter Hcighain and Ilickling that Itlack-hcadcd Gull- had formerly bred on ono or two ol
the bills surrounding the latter piece of water, though tiny bad now- (1ST") entirely ceased to remain and construct
their nests. Numbers continued to fly about the Broads during the summer months: these, however, all
exhibiting full adult plumage, wen- without doubt breeding hints from Sooultou lien- or some other smaller
stations Induced to wing their way to these attractive waters by the abundance of food lo be obtained. Afier
the bird-protection act came in force, and the shooting in spring of certain species was prohibited by- law, many
more of these (bills put in an appearance, and I heard that I wo or three pairs bail relumed and taken up their
quarters on one of the bills adjoining Ilickling Broad. The men who made these statements were uncertain
whether the young had been reared or even hatched out, and 1 could gain tin further information on the subject
beyond the fact that no nests were built the following year. In 1688 I remained for some months in this
part of Norfolk, and in the end of .lime noticed a nest on " Swimcoats," a hill on the west side of the Broad ;
this was built in one of the slades among the strong stems of a large tuft of rushes, at a height of about
fourteen or sixteen inches from the ground, and bad probably been constructed at the time when heavy rains
having fallen, a flood had raise.! the water above its usual height on thai part of the marsh. There wen neither
eggs nor young, and it would have been strange iT the Black Crows thai frequented the plantations round the
Itroad and daily hunted over the bills bad allowed the contents of a solitary nest to escape their attentions.
Again, in lsis,'i, 1 closely searclmd the old haunts of this s|ieelcs, hut discovered no signs of their presence ; the
natives also had failed to observe more than the usual complement of visitors from other quarters hovering
ever the waters of the Broad or (lining round the pools and slades on the hills.
Never having kept Black-headed Gulls in confinement for any length of time, I cannot state with certainty
the ago al which the perfect adult plumage is assumed. The various stag.'- in which ibis species is to lie seen