242 WITH XATVRE AND A CAMERA. 



females ; and on the third, tifteen, made up of 

 nine males and six females. 



While at St. Kilda in the sunmier of 1896, 

 I noticed that the male members of a colony of 

 Kittiwakes breeding on the Doon slept on the 

 same sheltered i)iece of rock every night, and were, 

 like many land birds I have kept under obser- 

 vation in similar circumstances, very punctilious 

 about going to roost. They would alight on the 

 rock, and, after resting for a few minutes, all rise 

 into the air, uttering their familiar notes with 

 vehement clamour whilst they took a short flight 

 over Village Bay. This kind of exercise they 

 repeated several times over before finally retiring 

 to rest. 



At the same })lace the Great Black-backed 

 Gulls used to betake themselves to an isolated rock 

 called Lavenish every evening to sleep, but were 

 back again by daydawn each morning to scrutinise 

 the beacli for food. 



I do not know ^^'llen Terns sleep, but am per- 

 suaded that they indulge in very little, for whilst 

 staying on the Fame Islands last summer I used 

 to hear the colony of Sandwich, Arctic, and 

 Common Terns nuiking as much clamour and din 

 betvv^een eleven and twelve o'clock at night as they 

 did at the same time during the day. 



I think there is every reason for believing that 

 numy members of the Gull family sleep upon the 

 sea even during the jjreeding season, for in the 

 beginning of Juno I have observed both Herring 

 and Lesser i)lack Backs beyond the Dogger l^ank 

 at the first ])ee]) of day assiduously examining 

 the fishermen's nets. I am aware, however, th:,t 

 they fly by night in summer-time at any rate, for 

 I have seen tlieni come and aliiiht close beside nu' 



