CHEAT HL.U'K-U AUK" U1) GUI.I,.
am decidedly omniroroos; carrion, however (bul, putrid fisli, or any floating rolaoo, comes by no menus amiss
«In >re tempting prey is Mnree. A deed seal or a drowned sheep ensl up on the shore of ¡1 Highland loch
frequently draws a large and mixed party to join in the savoury banquet ; and it is seldom the Great Blaekhuckod
Gull is absent from such gatherings. Along the southern and eastern coasts I have repeatedly watched,
during atituum and w inter, uumliers of this Species (for the most part in immature plumage) lly iug ¡11 circles
over the tide running from some harbour-mouth, or even the outfall of a large drain, contending at times
v ith ('run's and other scavengers for the most attractive morsels.
Any one w ho has spent much lime punt-gunning on the Highland firths along the north-east coast during
Hie first quarter of the year [in autumn and early winter Hie Gulls have either not come down from the hills
or are as yet uuaceiisloLued to this manner of procuring their food) must have been much annoyed by the
presence of these lllaek-baeks. .No sooner does the gunner make preparations for approaching on unsuspecting
hunch of fowl, than three or four screaming I lulls gather over the flock, and after flying round
for a time, their excitement increases as the punt draws near, till at Inst, darting down open-mouthed, they
drive every bird from the water and put an end lo all chance of a shot. These cmfly Gulls are well aware
that a meal will easily be secured after the discharge, since cripples are sure to escape from the gunner, only
to fall victims to their powerful beaks. Their hunger, however, urges them to attempt the capture
before the shot has been tired, and in nine cases out of ten, by these means, they defent their own
ends and ruin the punter's sport. Should these pests by any chance happen to be absent till the cripple-chase
has commenced, they often drive birds back to the punt. 1 have seen numbers of wounded Mallard and
Wigoou so terrified by the attacks or the Gulls that the poor birds have taken wing and pitched down within
ten or fifteen yards of the punt. In some districts, where there has ham much shooting, it is useless to
attempt to get near fowl by daylight, however tame they mny he, owing to the voracity of tin- Gulls.
In my notes for 1*110, while shooting on the Durnoch Firth, I find that, on March l.">. at least half a
dozen fair shots at bunches of Pintails, all line drakes, were lost by the Gulls constantly keeping in
attendance. When nt last it was obvious that even- chance would he spoiled, 1 turned my whole attention
to the Gulls, and with punt and shoulder-gun succeeded in admini-toring such a lesson that the few
survivors gave the punt a wide Is'rth for the next few days. Willi poison carefully inserted in certain
portions of a dead fowl they might easily have been thinned down ; hut nu unfortunate mishap in the
district, resulting from this plan, set me against attempting to clear oil' the Gulls by these means. Small
birds such as Golden Plover or Dunlins, when falling 011 the water or soft mud, arc often carried of! by
these roblicrs liefnro they can be retrieved.
Though Great Black-backs are frequently seen during win'er on the large broads in the eastern
counties, and many wounded birds often fall to their share, I have never found they interfered in the
slightest degree with the sport, keeping usually at a respectful distance, and simply picking up any
cripples that suireeihsd in making their escape in the first instance. On January 1, 1S7H, I captured
on llicklcy Hrond a tine adult in winter plumage in a vermin-trap set for the benefit of some Grey
Crows that bad been perpetually carrying off the Indian corn and other food supplied to luy decoy.
Ducks. The trap was placed a few yards outside the Ducks' enclosure, a dead Pochard tlrake being employed
as bait. The following description of this specimen is extracted from my note-:—"Head slightly speckled
with grey feathers. Eye silvery while, with vermilion circle. Beak bright chrome-yellow; dark orange
spot on Iowa* mandible with purple mark in centre. Interior of mouth pale salmon lint. Legs and feet
a pale flesh."
Ganu-pn-MUV ing and the increased number of tourists visiting all the most easily accessible quarters
have during the past twenty years thinned down the number of these fine birds in many parts of the
Highlands, traps clearing ell'the adults, while the eggs and downy young fall prizes to the wandering
GREAT BLAOK-BAOKBD GULL, :t
collector. For my own part, I have to plead guilty to causing the death of but a couple of broods
of young—a pair full-fledged on Loch Shin, and three in (be down, a few days old, taken from a nest
on an island in Lock Skeana>kaig, in the Coigach district. Though l,ocli Shin is by no menus the •'huge
ditch " it was described by an old writer *, the scenery is far less wild nnd romantic than that to be met wil b
a few nub's further west. In this locality the Great lSlack-baek used iu former days to be numerous;
there were, however, but four or live pairs flying over the water when I was in search of juveniles of
Ibis species in lsil-*. The following short and condensed extract from my notes will give some idea nlo
ihe present scarcity of this Gull :—
"June SO. Taking the india-rubber boat on the wngonette, left l.airg early and drove along the
north side of Loch Shin within a mile or two of Ovcrskaig. For the first few miles Common Gulls
and L'sser [thick-hacks alone were seen, and it was not. fill reaching a spot olf Fiag Island that any
of the Larger Wack-hacks came in view. Leaving the trap 1111 the road, 1 made my way to Ihe
water-side nnd watched, for at least an hour, the action of n couple of pairs and a single bird or two.
After hovering ronud the islands for some time, the whole party look their departure towards Hie east,
and I could obtain no evidence that they had either eggs or young in the immediate vicinity. After
driving a mile or two further west and meeting with no signs of the birds of which I was in quest,
we selected a spot where the road ran nithin a short distance of ihe loch-side, and having blown out
Ihe boat, 1 embarked in order to thoroughly examine the islands and then pull back to Lairg. On
appn lung I'iag, the larger of the two island', a pair of Gulls at once came in view, circling round with
angry screams, greatly enraged at the intrusion on their haunts. The adventure on Loch Mans? a few
weeks previous (recorded under the beading of Ihe Ospn-y) having by no means failed from my memory,
1 llrsl selected a sheltered spot where the boat would be secure from any sudden gust of wind, and next
closely searched the patches of long grass on the south side, A nest evidently new. hut empty, was soon
discolored, most cunningly concealed, considering its size, among the roots and Coarse herbage in a clump
of -.mall struggling hii-hc- thai stretched down toward- the shore. Fresh footsteps, however, in the suit
gravel, plainly indicated that the spot bad been lately visited, and the contents most probably carried olf.
Herons were breeding in several of the low stunled trees, but no other ncsls were visible, though two or
three pairs of Grey Lag Geese showed considerable disinclination to quit I bat part of the loch. Nothing
appearing on the smaller island, I started ocfore a favourable breeze for Liirg, Ihe piir of Gulls still
keeping company, sailing slowly round and round, giving vent at times to a melancholy cry. As the
w hid freshened, my work was easy, good progre— being made w ith little more exertion than simply keeping the
boat before the swell, another pair of Gulls soon joining my former attendants, their excessive consternation
as I drew further east plainly indicating Ihe presence of young at no great distance. While passing close
to the north of a small sandy islet, the highest point of which was little more than a foot or two
above the surface of the loch, I eaughl sight ol a couple of young Gulls running in a crouching at til tide
down to the water's edge and at once striking out for the shore. Turning the boat under the shelter of
the island, I scum worked to w iudn aid of the two birds, who emit limed swimming side by side, though making
but little headway against the cross swell. Draw ing rapidly upon them, I sneeiisled in ihe lir-l attempt in
clutching the pair, and the larger seizing his smaller brother, the two were comfortably stowed in the
liottom of the lioat beneath the scat before they had time to offer the slightest resistance. The male and
female wen- now living round iu the greatest excitement, and being anxious to secure the entire family
as specimens, I took the first chance nnd dropped one of the pair as they snooped past the boat. A
minute later the survivor again sailed over at a considerable height, ami being -lopped dead a- a stone iu the
air, doubled up and dropped within a foot of the boat, so close, iu fact, that a w ing brushed the side In the act