148 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



110. Little Gull. Ohro'icocephalus minutus (Pall.). — The only 

 specimen I ever saw was a dried-up mummy which I picked up in 

 a cart track near Balnacoil, in 1874. 



111. Iceland Gull. Larus glaucus, 0. P. Midler. — A winter 

 visitor, not very rare. 



112. Great Black-backed Gull. Larus marinus, Lin. — A re- 

 sident species, but not very common. A few pairs breed about the 

 hill lochs, always on islands, and generally only one pair on each 

 island. They lay early in May, and if the first eggs are taken they 

 lay a second batch in the old nest. They apparently return to the 

 same place year after year, though now and then a pair will desert 

 a locality. 



113. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Larus fuscus, Lin. — Only a 

 too abundant species, being very obnoxious to game preservers and 

 shepherds, who destroy them on every occasion. They are, as a rule, 

 later in laying than the former species, fresh eggs being found late 

 in June. These birds eat a great deal of corn in the spring months, 

 as may be seen by a visit to the localities in which they breed, for 

 they cast up the husks in " quids," like the Kooks. They also bring 

 up fish and small crabs from the shore. On two occasions these 

 birds robbed me of a Goose nest which I was very anxious to 

 obtain. 



114. Herring Gull. Larus argentatus, Gmel. — Abundant, though 

 not nearly so common as Larus fuscus. The eggs are difficult to 

 get on account of being laid amongst those of the last-named species, 

 as there is little or no difference between the eggs of the two. 

 The best way to get them is to watch the birds with a glass, at 

 least this is the way I obtained authentic eggs. They breed 

 indifferently on an island or on marshy ground. 



115. Common Gull. Larus canus, Lin. — Breeds abundantly in 

 the same places as the last two species, but I noticed that they were 

 more often on the mainland than on the islands in the lochs. They 

 lay about the same time as Larus marinus. I believe these birds 

 do little or no harm, and I never allowed them to be molested on 

 my ground, where I had a very nourishing colony. 



116. Pomatorine Skua. Lestris pomatorhinus (Temm.). — Pour 

 birds seen at Balnacoil on the 13th of October, 1879. 



117. Richardson's Skua. Lestris crepidatus (Gmel.). — Often 

 seen off the coast in autumn. I understand from Mr. Houstoun of 

 Kintradwell that a pair breed regularly on a very boggy piece of 



