1898.] Palmer. — Lesser Black-backed Gull Nesting in Kildare. 187 



altogether showed less anger at our intrusion. We estimated 

 that there were about a hundred pairs when they were all 

 on the wing. Their nesting colony was at a distance of 

 something like half or three-quarters of a mile from that of 

 the other gulls, and was at a rather less wet part of the bog. 



The nests which we found — between twenty and thirty — 

 were scattered over a fairly large area, perhaps fifty acres. They 

 were all very similar. They were situated in slight hollows 

 on little hillocks or mounds of bog where Ling and Bent-grass 

 were growing rather scantily. They were well above the then 

 water-level. They were composed chiefly of moss (several 

 kinds), some dried grass, with here and there a little Ling and 

 Bog-cotton. They w^ere solid, well constructed nests, about 

 two inches in thickness, and about a foot in diameter. One 

 contained four eggs ; tw^o others three each ; and another, one 

 ^%Z' Most of the eggs were nearly ready for hatching. 

 Other nests contained young birds in various stages of 

 grow^th, some of which Mr. Williams took for preservation. 

 A few^ young birds, in drab down spotted with black, were on 

 the ground aw^ay from their nests, but unable to fly. 



In the case of both species of gulls here referred to we 

 were struck with the very small number of 3^oung birds to be 

 seen in proportion to the number of old birds. The3^ could 

 hardly have been hiding, for there was scarcely enough 

 cover to hide them effectually ; and it was evident that 

 hatching was over except in a few belated cases. The cause 

 of this scarcit}'' of young birds is rather puzzling ; there has 

 not been either drought or prolonged wet weather. Rats 

 sometimes do great mischief among young ducks, but evidence 

 was not apparent of their having attacked the young gulls, or 

 of their presence- Whether the usual food supplies have been 

 deficient is not very apparent. Lesser Black-backed Gulls 

 are destructive to various j^oung birds ; but if they were in the 

 habit of preying on the young of their congeners the Black- 

 headed Gulls it might be supposed that the latter would have 

 deserted the neighbourhood. Both species, I understand 

 from local informants, have been nesting at iheir present 

 colonies for years. 



Ballybrack, Co. Dublin. 



