70 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



KiTTiWAKE (Rissa tridactyla). On my arrival at 

 Westness I found the rock-bircls had ah^eady arrived 

 at their breeding station, though at that period 

 (20th Ax3ril) they had, of course, not begun to lay ; 

 indeed, the Kitti wakes were rarely, if ever, then seen 

 on the rocks, generally sitting in flocks on the water 

 just below their breeding haunts. Being absent the 

 greater part of May, I could not say with certainty 

 when the first eggs were laid; but on my first visit 

 to them in June most nests contained t^vo and three 

 eggs, generally the former number. The nests are 

 located in places extremely difficult of access, often 

 under an overhanging rock, and are made of fine 

 sea-^veed apparently collected by one of the birds, the 

 other staying at home to see that none of the mate- 

 rials are stolen, and also to do the making of the nest. 

 As soon as the bird brings in the weed it drops it 

 on the ledge, and the other takes it up in its bill, 

 j)laces it where wanted, and then stamps it down 

 tight with the feet. After a little rest, and a few 

 interchanges of an amicable nature, the first bird 

 drops lightly off the ledge for more material. Every 

 now and then a bird wdll commence its cry of " kitti- 

 ake, kitti-ake," which is taken up by others near it, 

 making a most deafening noise. A stranger lighting 

 near the nest of another bird is instantly driven off, 

 and this again occasions another outbreak of " kitti- 

 ake." A bird in immature plumage (but not of the 

 year) was not allowed to land on the ledges either. 

 This was the only immature bird I saw until the 

 young of the year began to fly. 



When first hatched the young are Hke other young 

 gulls in their mottled brown-and-black plumage. 



The young Kittiwake is fed in a manner similar to 

 a pigeon : the old one arrives and sits on the edge 

 of the nest with its neck largely distended with food, 

 remaining there some time as if ruminating. Pre- 

 sently she puts her head down and shakes herself, 

 probably as soon as she feels the food is sufficiently 

 macerated, she then opens her mouth and the young 



