'4250 ^gg^ ^nd Birds found 



an immature plumage, assembled together upon the north 

 part of the Island of Sanda; and, from this circumstance, I 

 am led to believe that they do not breed until they obtain their 

 full plumage, as we did not observe a single instance of a bird 

 out of plumage, among several thousands that were upon the 

 holm near the Island of Papa Westra. 



T/ie Common Gull (hdrus cdnus L.). — We found this only 

 in the Island of Hoy, breeding upon the tops of the highest 

 hills ; not very numerous. Their nests were made of sea- 

 weed and tang, and had only two eggs in each, much smaller, 

 but longer in proportion, than those of the herring gull ; but 

 very similar as to colour. 



The Black-headed Gull (Ltdrus ridibundus Leisler). — These 

 are not very numerous : we found a few of their nests in the 

 Island of Hoy. They invariably lay four eggs, the ground 

 colour of which is a dirty blue, or an olive brown, and co- 

 vered with dark brown or rusty red blotches. 



The Kittiwalce (Ldrus triddctylus Latham, L. Rissa Lin.) 

 we found very numerous, and observed them busily employed 

 in building their nests (May 31.) upon the lower shelves or 

 ledges of the rocks on the face of the Island of Copenshay, 

 carrying sea-weed and tang, which they collected as it was 

 swimming about. Their nests were placed close alongside 

 of each other : they had just commenced laying, and we were 

 only able to get three specimens. The eggs are very beau- 

 tiful ; the ground colour is of a reddish white, very faintly 

 spotted with rust ; they are much rounder than those of any 

 other gulls, and about the size of the e^gg of the black-headed 

 gull. It was with very great difficulty that we obtained these 

 and some other eggs, by a man's going along the edge of the 

 rocks, which are almost perpendicular, and 600 ft. in height 

 from the sea: he appeared to traverse it with perfect ease; 

 having previously taken off his shoes. He took a long pole 

 with him, with a sort of spoon fastened at one end ; and by 

 this means he obtained some eggs that otherwise would have 

 been out of his reach. 



The Arctic Gull [Lestris parasiticus Boie). — This we ob- 

 served in every island ; but the principal breeding-places 

 of this species are in the Islands of Hoy and Eday, upon the 

 tops of the highest hills. We were too early (June 14.), as 

 they had scarcely begun to lay. We found only one nest, 

 which was very slight, composed of a few loose straws neg- 

 ligently put together, and containing but one egg (their usual 

 number is two), which was of an olive brown colour, with here 

 and there a streak of black : quite different from the eggs of all 

 other gulls. When the female left her nest, we observed her 



