THE HKBRTNO GULI,. 27 



invisible — a great advantage when stalking or waiting for birds. Being accua- 

 tomcd to the boat I find him sometimes useful: when he sees birds upon 

 the water he makes a decided point, sometimes before I can detect them, 

 especially when rowing alone in a punt, when of course one's back is turned 

 on everything that may be ahead. 



Another very necessary part of one's equipment is a glass of some kind. 

 I formerly used a small telescope, but I have long given up carrying that, 

 it being so cumbersome, and involving so much time, trouble, and the use of 

 both hands every time it is looked through. A small single-barrelled opera 

 glass is far more useful, as it may be fixed at the right focus, and so 

 can be pulled out of the pocket, and used by the left hand alone, while 

 the gun may still be retained in the other. A glass of this kind will of 

 course not command such a long range as the telescope, but they are made 

 of very considerable powers, sufficient at least for most occasions. It is very 

 useful for detecting birds upon the water, when one is boating, or for dis- 

 covering them among rocks, or among reeds and cover* and by twilight it is 

 superior to the telescope, as it contains fewer glasses, and does not consequently 

 absorb so much of the light. 



The Ravens have got their new nest in the locality I expected they were 

 going to adopt. Here, in a high clifi" they have taken up their residence in 

 an old nest formerly built by a Peregrine, but since tenanted by Hooded 

 Crows. The nest being ready built, it only required a fresh lining. The 

 place I think is totally inaccessible; however I may sacrifice one of the old 

 birds for the sake of its skin, should it be wanted. 



I have got two more Black Guillemots' skins for you which exhibit the 

 changes the plumage undergoes between winter and summer. The Wheatear 

 arrived here on the '21st. of March. 



Last Saturday, the 3rd. of April, I found a Rock-Dove's nest containing 

 young ones, which is unusually early. 



(To he continued.) 



THE HERRING GULL, {LARUS ABGENTATTIS.) 



BY GEORGE DONALDSON, ESQ. 



In the month of June, a few years ago, when on a visit to Ailsa Craig, 

 in the Frith of Clyde, a very young specimen of this bird was taken from 

 a nest by my friend, Mr. Kemp, who accompanied me on that occasion. He 

 shortly afterwards put it into his garden, in the neighbourhood of the city, 

 where it was for some time unable to provide for itself, during which he fed 

 it upon various articles of a domestic nature, such as broken bread, potatoes, 

 etc. In the course of a month afterwards he was relieved of all his attentions 

 by "Snow," as I named him, foraging for himself amongst the bushes and 

 vegetables, where he fed on various caterpillars, slugs, flies, and beetles. He 

 was constant in his attendance on Mr. Kemp while engaged in digging and 



