132 . PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



species breeding not only on the open grassy parts of the islands, 

 but also amongst some thick birch-wood, and I have flushed them 

 in this situation direct from their nests. 



HERRING GULL. 



LARUS ARGENTATUS, Gmelin. 

 Not nearly so numerous as the last, but tolerably abundant, 

 especially on the Badcall islands. Like the L. fuscus, I have 

 found their numbers at this locality to differ very much in different 

 years. In one season, for instance, I found great difficulty in 

 obtaining properly identified eggs of the Lesser Black-backed 

 Gull, from the much larger numbers of this species breeding with 

 them; whilst another season I found ecjual difficulty in identifying 

 the eggs of the present species, on account of the superabundance 

 of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 



COMMON GULL. 



LARUS CAN US, Linnaeus. 



Very abundant; breeding numerously on the inland lochs of 

 the west, as well as on the islands of the various arms of the sea, 

 and on the Badcall islands. A long spell of dry weather in spring 

 and summer seems to retard these and other Gulls from laying. 

 They were unusually late of breeding in 1869. 



BLACK-HEADED GULL. 



LARUS RIBIBUNDUS, Linnaeus. 



Plentiful in the east : entirely absent, as far as my experience 

 goes, in the west. Having been told that they bred on a small 

 loch at the base of Canispe, I visited the locality, but found no 

 other species besides Larus ccmus. 



KITTIWAKE. 



LARUS TRIDACTYLUS, Linnaeus. 



Occupies the lower ranges of ledges on Handa, where I have 

 seen the waves cast their spray over the sitting birds. They are 

 partial to " The Stack," seeking out the landward and more 

 sheltered sides, where they build their large warm nests close to 

 one another. The number of their eggs is three ; never, I believe, 

 more. 



