LARUS. 351 



tame about the house and aborigines abodes, after I gave orders that they were not to be 

 disturbed, as they are useful scavengers, and clean up a lot of oflal and scraps about the native's 

 camps. In December, 1899, after a long prevalence of very heavy southerly gales, I noticed 

 they left the beach and were feeding largely on beetles on the inland Spinifex hills. This 

 species also occurs all round the south-western wast." 



Dr. L. Holden wrote as follows while resident at Circular Head, on the north-western coast 

 of Tasmania: — "On the 13th November, 1887, I\Ir. H. Ford brought me eight eggs of Lams 

 novie-Iiollandiii from Crayfish Island. There were fifteen eggs in all on the island; of those taken 

 only two were at all set, and that very slightly so. Some nests contained three, others two and 

 one. The eggs vary much, the prevailing ground colour is olive-green, or dull bluish-green, 

 and the markings different shades of brown, and faint purple beneath the surface of the shell, 

 some have scratches and lines, but spots predominate ; one is very pale, with small marks, more 

 like a Crow's egg, except in shape and size. On the 8th December, 1888, a Circular Head 

 boatman found a large breeding colony with \ery many eggs on Pelican Island, Woolnorth." 



SILVER GULLS NESTING ON MONTAGUE ISLAND, SOUTH-EASTERN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Mr. R. N. Atkinson wrote as follows from Tasmania: — "The Silver Gull is common on 

 the shores of Tasmania and throughout the islands of Bass Strait. It breeds in small to \'ery 

 large colonies on numerous islands along the coast, and in the Furneaux and Hunter Groups. 

 The nest, a hollow in the ground, or crevice in the rock, lined with tussocky grass, varies in size 

 according to the position chosen. Sometimes it is snugly concealed amongst the tussocks or 

 beneath a shelving rock, at others quite exposed. Three eggs are the usual clutch in these 

 localities, but sometimes only two are laid, and I have noticed a majority of two egg sets early 

 in the season. When disturbed the birds hover in a state of excitement overhead, and noisily 

 scold the intruder as he scrambles about amongst the nests. Breeding commences in the latter 

 end of October." 



For the purposes of breeding it readily adapts itself to its en\ironment, congregating usually 

 in large colonies on some island, and in unfrequented situations on sandy parts of bays or rocky 

 headlands. Sometimes it is among knee-high grass tussocks, or on narrow rocky ledges, or 

 among seaweed, low grass, broken shells. Usually it is a slight depression in the ground, lined 

 more or less thickly with grasses, sheaths of grasses, or dried seaweeds, others are more roughly 



