NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 63 



scarcity, as the conditions have been on the whole similar to those 

 of last season. 



Glaucous Gull. — Larus glaums, 0. F. Milll. — These birds 

 visit our coasts regularly, or nearly so, every winter — more especially 

 our eastern seaboard. I have seen a migratory flight arrive upon 

 the coast at St. Andrews, and follow down the coast line, flying in 

 and out amongst the sand-hills. On the W. coast they are not so 

 abundant. A fine Glaucous Gull, apparently in the plumage of the 

 second year, was shot at Shieldhill, in Dumfriesshire, the last week 

 in Dec. 1880, and was sent to Mr. Hastings for preservation — [R. 

 Service in lit.]. 



Gull. — Larus (sp.?). — A correspondent remarked that in pre- 

 vious winters, when the snow was deep and the frost severe, his 

 house was wont to be visited by Sea-gulls in large numbers looking 

 for food, while during all the present winter not a single Sea-gull 

 has been seen. Have they found abundance of food at the sea-shore, 

 or have they migrated to a warmer climate ? — [Inv. Courier, 15. i. 81]. 



To this I replied that possibly the long continuing or oft-recurring 

 N.E. and E. gales " washing up " constantly upon our E. coast, 

 may possibly have thrown a larger supply of food upon the beach. 

 Such high gales not being usually the constant attendants upon 

 such severe frost as we have been experiencing, local migration of 

 the gull-population would not be so pronounced in other seasons, 

 and so be less noticed, if, indeed, this be the cause. But before 

 one could state any reason for the phenomenon, he would require 

 to be well acquainted with the situation, &c, of the precise 

 locality. I learned afterwards that my supposition was probably 

 correct, as numbers of frozen Garvies were found on the shore on 

 which large numbers of Gulls were feeding. 



In Thurso, Gulls exhibited great fearlessness* during the hard 

 weather, swooping down and alighting on the window sills, and 

 gobbling up everything in a few minutes, as I am informed by 

 Mr. R. Tait. 



Amongst web-footed birds, the lesser Gulls are reported by Rev. 

 A. Stewart to have " died in scores " at Ballachulish. 



Mr. Warren notes the arrival of Sandwich Terns at Ballina as 

 early as the 24th March, 1880. 



