NOTES ON THE MAMMALS AND BIRDS OP ROUSAY. 69' 



quantities of " ghost moths " were flying about ; and 

 a few of these, and perhaps one or two Herring 

 Gulls, T\"ere sailing round snapping the moths u^d as 

 they flew or settled on the long grass. 



Great Black - backed Gull (Lanis tnarinus). 

 Common throughout the year in all stages of plum- 

 age. Not requiring its eggs, I never looked for its 

 nest ; but I am certain it breeds on the islands about 

 Rousay, if not on Rousay itself. 



Lesser Black-backed Gull (Lams fuscns). Com- 

 moner in the breeding season than at other times. 

 A few pairs bred near one of the hill lochs amongst 

 the heather, despite its annual persecution at that 

 season. 



Herring Gull (Larus argentatus). Very common. 

 A few pairs bred in the same place as the Larus 

 fuscus last mentioned, and when in fishing one 

 approached their breeding ground, they wearied you 

 with their clamour. Their great haunt on Rousay 

 was on the "Lobist," a detached piece of cliff, and 

 inaccessible w^ithout a great deal of trouble. On 

 this small piece of ground, fifty yards long by ten 

 broad, there must have been more than a hundred 

 pairs of birds breeding, no other gull mixing with 

 them. They built, too, but in scantier numbers, on 

 other ledges of rock, and it was amusing to watch 

 the ungainly-looking young birds running along these 

 ledges. 



Iceland Gull (Larus leucopter-usj. The only speci- 

 men of this bird I observed was on the 11th of July. 

 I was out w^itli a friend after seals, and on our 

 approach to one of the skerries not far from Kirk- 

 wall, this gull remained after all the rest left the 

 rock, by this means attracting our notice. 



Glaucous Gull (Larus glancus). My keeper shot 

 a fine adult specimen on either the 10th or 11th of 

 October. One or two were seen after that, but not 

 many. 



