.19^4- RuTTLEUGE — A Hiiiinl of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. 117 



had become covered with vegetation. The nests had been 

 well made and spacious, as mentioned in the " Birds of 

 Ireland." At so late a date I was rather surprised to 

 hnd some half-dozen young gulls still unable to fly ; one 

 or two indeed could not have left the nest long, being 

 still covered with down and only partially feathered. 



I should think that rather more than twenty pairs breed 

 now, as there were over forty adult birds still about the 

 island. 



I noted that about six large flat rocks were used in 

 particular as feeding-places, where the gulls brought their 

 food and tore it up. Although this species is known as 

 an omnivorous feeder, I mention some articles of food 

 which I found on these " tables " in a more or less fresh 

 condition. There were, of course, innumerable bleached 

 bones, bits of dried skin, and so forth. I found remains 

 of six freshly devoured Moor-hens, the legs and feet of 

 which remained connected by the pelvis — ^the wings also 

 were present. I counted the legs of three young ducks 

 also, probably Mergansers. Also I saw the fresh remains 

 of a young rabbit and a fresh-water cra3^fish. 



There is, I think, a point of interest about the Moor- 

 hens. The remains were those of nearly mature birds, 

 judging by the wings. Now the nearest possible place 

 where Moor-hens could be found is at least two miles 

 away — possibly more — and as the legs were found intact, 

 and the wdngs, it is to be supposed that the birds w^ere 

 brought entire, a distance of at least one mile from the 

 nearest shore, and further from wherever they were 

 captured — the same would apply to the young rabbit. 

 An almost fully grown IMoor-hen seems a large load to 

 bring entire for a mile or more, even for so large a bird 

 as this gull, and it would be interesting to see the 

 performance taking place. It is possible of. course that the 

 birds took rest on the water en route. 



I was interested to see that a small colony of Arctic 

 Terns had bred on the north point of the island and were 

 still feeding young. How the eggs and young had survived 

 in such close proximity to the gulls 1 do not know, but 

 I observed that if any of the latter came near the north 



