1907. PATTERSON. — Birds of Lambay, 29 



islands as the best places, and late couples had to content themselves 

 higher up the slopes, finally invading the heather.. A completed 

 nest, apparently ready for eggs, was found on 14th April, and several 

 nests contained eggs by 28th April. Many eggs taken on 19th May 

 were very much incubated, and in early June the downy young are 

 in all stages of independence. The colour of their down so well 

 matches the grey lichen-covered rocks (as can be well seen hy R 

 Welch's photographs (Plates 14, 15), and they sit so still that they are 

 difficult to find, and they are adepts at hiding. By the end of June 

 the young, now grown big and looking ridiculous in the remnants of 

 their baby-clothes (Plate 15, fig. 3), maybe seen on rocks a few yards 

 out in the sea, looking rather unhappy in that situation, while the 

 mothers croak encouragement 30 or 40 yards away. The mortality 

 among the young must be very high, rats probably exacting a 

 heavy toll. Of special interest as the cause of death in a young 

 gull is the tail of a Thornback Ray, which had choked the specimen 

 photographed in Plate 12. This young bird, apparently about eight 

 days old, was found dead in its nest with the ray's tail, which 

 measured six inches in length, stuck in its throat. There can 

 hardly be a doubt that the young bird owed its death to some 

 perverted instinct of its mother who had tried to feed her off- 

 spring with such strangely unsuitable provender. 



Larus fuscus (Lesser Beack-backed Guee). — A few pairs breed 

 high up in the heather in company with the last species, and two 

 pairs near Lambay Head. Single birds are often seen during the 

 winter. Young were hatched out on 22nd May, 1906. 



Larus marinus (Great Beack-backed Guee) — Two pairs bred in 

 1905 and 1906, near Lambay Head. They are ver3' shy and difficult 

 to approach. One was observed on Christmas Day, 1906. 



Rissa tridactyla (Kietiwake Guel).— The colonies of this bird are 

 another marked feature of Lamba}\ On the 13th April, 1906, there 

 was not one to be seen or heard, but by the following day (14th) 

 they were very numerous, having come in during the night. We 

 counted at least seven distinct colonies, which were increased on 

 the 15th, and by the 16th the numbers were marvellous. They were 

 very unsettled, dashing to and from the narrow ledges of rock for 

 no apparent reason, all the time uttering their well-known cry. 

 They take a long time to make their nests, and are not breeding 

 till end of May or June, when they are easily approached, and can 

 be studied at close quarters (Plate 10). They breed on the N. and 

 E. sides of the island in dense colonies, and have not been observed 

 in winter. Undoubtedly the most interesting and beautiful sea-bird 

 of the island. 



AIca torda (Razorbii^e) —Breeds in some numbers on the same 

 ledges as the Guillemots, but it is not so numerous. They begin to 

 come in to the island by the middle of April, and are common by 

 June, small flocks being met with when sailing to or from Lambay 

 Not seen in winter. 



