292 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



Black-backed, attacked by a Richardson's Skua. It must 

 have been ravenous to venture against such a large bird. 

 The Gull turned upon its puny assailant, struck him, and 

 knocked him down on to the ground as a reward for his 

 overweening ambition. The man then picked him up and 

 found that one eye was struck out, notwithstanding which 

 painful injury, he eat some food which was offered to him, 

 after which he was taken to my informant who sent him to 

 the Zoological Gardens, but I do not know how long he 

 survived his injuries. 



KiTTIWAKE. 



When I visited Flamborough soon after the passing of 

 the Sea-birds Act, I found that the poor Kittiwakes were 

 getting up their numbers very slowly. I did not see above 

 a hundred. It was of course the plume trade which had 

 thinned them so. Parties always shot at them in preference 

 to the Guillemots, because they paid part hire of the boat. 

 Mr. Bailey informed me that they were called " Petrels," 

 and in their second year " Mackerel birds." 



Black-headed Gull. 



In i860, on the day of the great gale — the memorable 

 28th of May, I visited Scoulton Mere, in Norfolk, with my 

 father, the largest GuUery of its kind in England. About 

 16,000 eggs had been gathered. In 1872, when I went 

 again, only 4,000 eggs were taken. This sad falling off was 

 due to dry seasons. Brown, the keeper, told me that once 

 the farmers spread the fields in the neighbourhood with 

 manure sown with salt, which poisoned the worms, etc., 

 upon which the Gulls fed, and that a great number died in 

 consequence. He said that they suffer from Stoats and 

 Rats. He had on one occasion 150 of the nestlings and 



