REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY FOR 1907 139 



COTILE RIPARIA (Sand-Martin). ist April, Dumfries and Kilbirnie 

 Loch; 2nd, Lendalfoot ; 3rd, Duddingston ; yth, Beith and 

 Common on the Kelvin, and Clyde 2ist-24th. Latest date 

 observed, i4th September, Fairlie. 



LIGURINUS CHLORIS (Greenfinch). Several large, sombre-coloured 

 birds wintered; on 2 yth February, in Mull, a dozen brighter 

 coloured and smaller arrived. In song in Edinburgh 28th 

 February. Laying at Kirkliston gth May, and last nesting there 

 nth August. At Caldwell in song till 4th August; 2ist 

 September, a hundred, Mull ; Qth October, at Lerwick in 

 numbers ; 4th November, three in Mull at seeds of Arctium 

 Lappa. 



COCCOTHRAUSTES vuLGARis (Hawfinch). On 1 8th March one shot 

 at Touch, Stirlingshire (A.S.N.H., 1907, p. 182), and on 

 25th April one picked up dead at Smeaton-Hepburn, East 

 Lothian (I.e. p. 181). 



CARDUELIS ELEGANS (Goldfinch). One in Mearns (E. Renfrew), 

 22nd December. 



C. SPINUS (Siskin). i8th April, Kirkliston (i); 3oth September 

 (i); ist October (4); Isle of May (p. 17); 25th November, 

 Swordale (a pair), and 6th December (6). 



P. MONTANUS (Tree-Sparrow). " Decidedly on the increase here- 

 abouts [Largo and Colinsburgh]. We constantly see them 

 in places where we have not known them heretofore." Several 

 on the Isle of May in September and October (p. 19); nth 

 May, South Bute, two pairs. 



(To be continued.} 



FOOD OF THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 

 By T. G. LAIDLAW, M.B.O.U. 



DURING a considerable number of years I have watched the 

 Black-headed Gull (Lanes ridibundus) in order to ascertain 

 of what its food was chiefly composed. This is not such an 

 easy matter to decide as one might imagine, as its food is 

 extremely varied, and, like several of its congeners, it may 

 be said to be omnivorous. Nothing in the way of animal 

 matter that it is capable of swallowing seems to be rejected 

 whether it be in the form of worms, larvae, flying insects, 

 fish, or mice, all seem to be greedily taken. 



