74 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



The Herring-Gull {Larus argentatus) is also an 

 oologist ; but rarely visits the inland moors. Its strong- 

 hold is St Abbs' Head, a few pairs also nesting" on the 

 Fames, among the blackbacks. But during the present 

 spring (1906), I have enjoyed the satisfaction of finding 

 this fine species nesting inland, alongside the blackbacks, 

 on the mosses of Hindlee Steel on North Tyne, just 

 described. There were only two or three pairs ; their 

 nests placed in the midst of the robber-colony — yet it 

 was clear that they (though few in numbers) were not the 

 ieast important of its members. This is the first recorded 

 instance of such an occurrence in Northumberland. 



The herring-gulls are the first to appear in spring 

 at their inland stations, arriving towards the end of 

 March — a few days in advance of the blackbacks. 



On the Scottish side also, these big gulls frequent 

 the inland moors exactly as they do in Northumberland. 

 Blackbacks in numbers, with a few herring-gulls, we 

 observed, early and late, soaring over the moors of 

 Roxburghshire. This was in May and June. We could 

 not ascertain from keepers and shepherds where they 

 bred ; but have no doubt there are nesting colonies inland, 

 though time precluded our locating the exact spots in 

 so wide and wild a country. On April 15th (1895), we 

 found one of the Great Black-backed Gulls {L. marinus, 

 immature) caught in a trap, baited with rabbit, on the 

 top of Cappercleugh, a hill overlooking St Mary's Loch 

 in Selkirkshire — the only instance of meeting with that 

 species inland. 



May 1. — Greyhens have eggs by this date. Black- 

 game are not so alpine in their tastes as grouse, and at 

 this season come well down below the level of the heather. 

 The haunts they now love are the rolling grass-prairies, 



