682 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



point reached the total of 280 in an hour, and this movement 

 lasted for ten hours a day for the space of four days. 



As spring approaches, and the nesting season draws near, 

 many adult birds are daily seen in April and May, going north- 

 west en route for their breeding places on the Fame Isles, 

 and if north-west winds should prevail at this period they 

 fly along the margin of the sand-hills, where their yellow bills 

 and black and white plumage are conspicuously throwoi up 

 against the blue of the sky. 



Although generally considered as a winter visitant only, 

 the Lesser Black-backed Gull was reported as having 

 nested on the Yorkshire coast, between Scarborough and 

 Filey, so long ago as 1876, though the recorder was very 

 doubtful as to the authenticity of the report (Tuck, 

 Zool. 1876, p. 4960) ; in the summer of 1884 Mr. Thomas 

 Carter saw a pair of these birds near Filey, and the year 

 following had what were alleged to be genuine eggs brought 

 to him by a cliff-climber, who averred that he had seen the 

 bird sitting on the nest. Mr. Carter appears to have had 

 no doubt as to their genuineness, although he did not see the 

 birds nor the nest whence the eggs were said to have been 

 taken ; the statement of the climber was not considered 

 to be satisfactory, and, after careful consideration, I have 

 come to the conclusion that the evidence produced in support 

 of the supposed occurrence is incomplete. I am quite aware 

 that this species is frequently seen passing along the coast 

 near Filey from the end of April throughout summer, 

 but the birds do not go into the cliffs in a manner which 

 suggests they are nesting, their movements having more the 

 appearance of a migration. At Bempton, on 28th June 

 1902, I saw fifteen old birds pass along the cliff sides, going 

 south ; and on i8th July 1904, six adults flew past in the 

 same direction. Therefore, until further proof is adduced, 

 the Filey breeding record remains unproven {op. cit. 1884, 

 pp. 438, 485 ; and 1885, pp. 26, 27, 346, 388). 



On the northern portion of the coast, however, I have 

 abundant proof that this Gull nests sparingly in one or two 

 localities near Whitby, where there are also large colonies 



