one of his offspring, had its wing shattered, and continued alive in the
middle of the pond, occasionally screaming piteously, for two or three
days, till relieved by death. The old Gull immediately abandoned the
place for that winter, as if reproaching us for cruelty. By next autumn,
however, he seemed to have forgotten the injury ; for, according to my
record, ' 30th October 1830. The Great Black-backed Gull once more
arrived at Canonmills garden." The periods of arrival, residence, and
departure were nearly similar in the following year. But in 1832,
not only October, but the months of November and December passed
away without Gulfs making his appearance, and I of course despaired
of again seeing him. He did, however, at length arrive. The following
is the entry in my common-place book: 6 Sunday, 6th January 1833.
This day the Great Black-back returned to the mill-pond, for (I think)
the eleventh season. He used to re-appear in October in former years,
and I concluded him dead or shot. He recognised my voice, and hovered
over my head.' He disappeared early in March as usual, and re-appeared
at Canonmills on 23d December 1833, being a fortnight earlier
than the date of his arrival in the preceding season, but six weeks later
than the original period of re-appearance. He left in the beginning of
March as usual, and I find from my notes that he " reappeared on 30th
December 1834 for the season, first hovering around and then alighting
on the pond as in former years.' The latest entry is, ' 11th March
1835 : The Black-backed Gull was here yesterday, but has not been seen
to-day; nor do I expect to see him till November.'
" This Gull has often attracted the attention of persons passing the village
of Canonmills, by reason of its sweeping along so low or near the
ground, and on account of the wide expanse of wing which it thus displays.
It is well known to the boys of the village as " NEILL'S Gull,"
and has, I am aware, owed its safety more than once to their interference,
in informing passing sportsmen of its history. When it first arrives
in the autumn, it is in the regular habit of making many circular
sweeps around the pond and garden, at a considerable elevation, as if reconnoitring;
it then gradually lowers its flight, and gently alights about
the centre of the pond. Upon the gardener's mounting the garden-wall
with a fish in his hand, the Gull moves towards the overhanging spray
of some large willow-trees, so as to catch what may be thrown to him, before
it sinks in the water. There can be no doubt whatever of the identity
of the bird. Indeed, lie unequivocally shews that he recognises my
voice when I call aloud 6 Gull, Gull;' for whether he be on wing or
afloat, he immediately approaches me.
" A few pairs of the Great Black-backed Gull breed at the Bass Rock
yearly, and it seems highly probable that my specimen had originally
been hatched there. If I may be allowed a conjecture, I would suppose
that, after attaining maturity, he for some years resorted to the same
spot for the purpose of breeding ; but that of late years, having lost his
mate or encountered some other disaster, he has extended his migration
for that purpose to some very distant locality, which has rendered his return
to winter quarters six weeks later than formerly."
LARUS MARINUS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 225—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 813.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 362.
BLACK-BACKED GULL, or COBB, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 308.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXLI.
Bill shorter than the head, robust, compressed, higher near the end
than at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at
the base, declinate and arched towards the end, the ridge convex, the
sides slightly convex, the edges sharp, inflected, arcuate-declinate towards
the end, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather long and narrow;
nostril in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the outline of
the crura rather concave, as is that of the remaining part of the mandible,
a prominent angle being formed at their meeting, the sides nearly flat,
the edges sharp and inflected.
Head rather large, oblong, narrowed anteriorly. Neck of moderate
length, strong. Body full. Wings long. Feet of moderate length, rather
slender ; tibia bare below ; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered anteriorly
with numerous scutella, laterally with angular scales, behind with
numerous small oblong scales; hind toe very small and elevated, the fore
toes of moderate length, rather slender, the fourth longer than the second,
the third longest, all scutellate above, and connected by reticulated entire
membranes, the lateral toes margined externally with a narrow membrane.
Claws small, slightly arched, depressed, rounded, that of middle
toe with an expanded inner margin.
The plumage in general is close, full, elastic, very soft and blended,
on the back rather compact. Wings very long, broad, acute, the first