GA VIM. IA R ID M ,
L ARuy «’usG'U^Hiinnseii-s. *
THE LESSER BLACK-BACKED
Larus_Jh&etys.-.. ^
The Lesser Black-u^ ked* another'well-known
species of general distribution along or? 'costs'; l)ut during
the breeding-season it-is far more local than the Herring
Gull, Both birds are not "infrequently to be found nesting
in tolerable proximity, But the Lesser Bl'ackcd-backod Gull
* Syst, Nat. E<1. Y’2., i. p, 225 >
igénerally-chooses the grassy slopes above the more precipitous
cliffs to which the Herring Gull resorts. Comparatively flat-
topped islands are especially to its'-’ taste, as well as isolated
stacks of rocks; and it is very partial to islands in~lochs,
Tn England, where suitable situations are somewhat rare,-
its hféeding-places>-are few and far between; none being
positively known on ‘ tbê: east-goast to the south of the Fame
Islands ; nor in -th# south until we^ comet o' Devon and-Cornwall.'
| 'Aklfundy Island, which belongs to'the former county,
a‘good many make their nbsts among the coarse herbage h i
the uppér slopes'. 'On'the coast of Wales th ere are Several
colonies*; it breeds'-'bn the Isle* of Man; there'i-sfhr was, a
polony-on alj island^ap Ulleswater ;* and in>«Cumberland-it* is
po'numerous bn Bownèss Moss,' SolwayFlbw^aird Wedholme
Flowj -that thé eggs ^arelargelyA<fertrbyed -by the keepers •to1'
prevent the uhduouhcfeasetof-this rapacious bird.- - It'is also
banished, sokferas possible/fibmthekmoors-' of "Northumberland,
but on the -Farne Islands it^nests';by hundreds, its
^hgenetthe- Herring GulBbbing very rare tBeret't
In ^Scotland' the-Lesser' Bïaèk-backed' Gull is-very ab'tin-
daSnf, and, with theWbeption of a considerable portion'of the5
'east-cp&st1 which is unsUitb^l^^if s habits, colonic may be
found scattered^—far tpo numerously game • preservers—
•over' thé mI^Iahds^dóëhL^/-and islands' from' fhé Shetlands fii^
P^e'B'blwdy. OverSfhis areait is!‘a^immoner species" than the'
H e r r i n g ' i n Ireland the*'proportions are reverted,"
and but few breedij^^-placesS thb-LSsser Black-backed" Gull
jafFO^k'Hown, although- böth'young and old are resident through-
óu#feévyèa;r. '
Speaking of Lesser Black-backed* Gfefls^on ' the' Fal-nés*
Mr.'Hewitson observes', thatt^e birds “ appear tdp/efèr tho’se'
islands'tvhifejL are the most ^ocky;-and upon^which theTe' is
m e least -herbage, and^ though they have theirhëboiiÉ^1 very
Lew3-of them'deposit their eggS' hpon the grass, and yet they
rarely -lay'them without, making a tolerablythick nest for
iheir-rebèptiön; tV fs 'gfï'grass.'loosely bundled together in
large pieces, aud placed in- ^mc, slight depression or bc^ow
'pftbe rock. • -AÉrópgsfcupwards of ~ die hundredmg«j|s'that I
r; VQfi. i n . 4 h