200 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



not be more than thirty yards, yet such was the force of the 

 wind, that the task of picking up the gull was heavier than a 

 mile's rowing in ordinary weather. 



From this post Dr Dewar proceeded southwards about two 

 miles along the shore, while Mr Thomson and myself took an 

 opposite direction, leaving Mr Gibson and one of the Tulliallan 

 keepers in sole possession of the pier. We soon found that many 

 of the larger gulls might be obtained by screening ourselves 

 behind the grassy embankment, and we therefore lay down at a 

 point we selected in full view of a small bay, which the storm- 

 baffled birds were scanning for stranded Garvies, and, as we 

 ultimately found, the bodies of the shot Kittiwakes which were 

 drifting up from our two friends on the pier. We had not been 

 long on the ground when three or four Glaucous Gulls came in 

 sight, soaring quietly with arched wings, and eagerly searching 

 the verge of the mud-banks just beginning to appear. Two of 

 these Mr Thomson secured — one of them at a very long range, 

 with a charge of No. 1, the only really serviceable shot in such 

 weather. This bird, though we heard the charge strike its 

 feathers, showed no signs of being hit; but we had the satisfac- 

 tion, after watching its flight a few minutes, of seeing it alight in 

 the water and then drop its head. The wind very soon drifted 

 it to the muddy shore, about fifty yards from the embankment, 

 and we induced a Kincardine arab to wade in for it, which he 

 did to our entire satisfaction, though once or twice we felt anxious 

 about his safety. We saw altogether, while at this post of observa- 

 tion, upwards of fifty Glaucous Gulls, all in flight, and easily 

 recognised by their size, the absence of black tips to their wings, 

 and, I may add, their mode of flying, for it was impossible to 

 mistake them for the Great Black -backed Gull {L. marinus), whose 

 wing is, as a rule, of much greater length and curvature. We 

 secured three specimens of tire last mentioned bird — the measure- 

 ments of which varied extremely, whether as regards length and 

 thickness of bill, extent of wing from flexure, or total expanse 

 from tip to tip. 



Looking northwards and westwards, we observed the Kittiwakes 

 following the shoals of Garvies {Clupea sprattus), and hovering 

 over the water in impenetrable clouds, appearing, when seen 

 against the opposite woods of Dunmore, like a heavy fall of snow. 

 There must have been many thousands in the estuary at the time, 



