NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 201 



for it was occasionally impossible to see the other side of the firth 

 through the main body. 



Eejoining our friends on the quay we found that they had 

 nearly filled a boat with Kittiwakes, all of which had been killed 

 while crossing the pier. I counted over one hundred and ten 

 birds — a task which enabled me to note the per centage of those 

 in adult plumage. I found only four adult birds in that number, 

 and judging from the flocks that flew past me, as I stood upwards 

 of an hour watching their movements, I should say that the birds 

 in the hand were a very fair criterion of those in the air. While 

 here, as was noticed by Mr Thomson and myself when along the 

 banks, we saw comparatively few species, the bulk of the birds 

 being Kittiwakes. Occasionally a full plumaged Great Black- 

 backed Gull swept past, and there was a sprinkling of immature 

 birds of that species also visible during our stay; but these were 

 nothing when compared with the clouds of Kittiwakes that rose and 

 fell, while feeding on the shoals of Garvies. 



On examining the contents of our hamper, we found Mr Gibson 

 had shot another Glaucous Gull; and Dr Dewar having come in 

 from his shore ramble, shewed us other four, a beautiful adult and 

 three in immature plumage, making eight in all of that important 

 species. Dr Dewar reported that he had seen an Iceland Gull 

 {Lams leucopterus), in full adult dress, and on comparing notes with 

 him as to the numbers of the Glaucous Gull seen by him and 

 ourselves, we agreed that, on a moderate computation, there must 

 have been from one hundred and fifty to two hundred in the 

 firth between Alloa and Kincardine alone. I may here remark 

 that Mr Thomson was told of Mr Singer of Kincardine having 

 last month killed fifteen of these gulls at a single shot; and on 

 questioning some of the older seafaring people of the town about 

 the birds, I was informed that they are recognised in the estuary 

 every winter, and in the young state are called Golden Maws. 

 During Mr Thomson's first visit, and that of which I am now 

 giving an account, the total number of s^Decimens taken to 

 Glasgow was fourteen. At least other eight were shot, but lost 

 on account of the difiiculty of retrieving them. 



On the 2d of January Messrs Harvie Brown and George 

 Paterson, both members of this Society, visited the estuary, and 

 procured two Glaucous Gulls and a beautiful adult specimen of 

 the Great Black-backed Gull. Mr Harvie Brown informed me 



