35 



BIRD-LIFE ON THE MOORS IN MAY. 



Throughout the Borders in spring are scattered colonies of 

 the Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibiindns), and the larger 

 breeding-places are among the most interesting and animated 

 of moorland scenes. Nearly every large sheet of water has 

 an extensive colony : while many a remote moss-pool and 

 nameless hill-lough has its two or three pairs of this graceful 

 species. 



There is now (May 1st) an abundance of Gulls' eggs at our 

 lough — about 150 nests. Ten years ago there were not a dozen 

 pairs, but preservation and the destruction of their enemies 

 have largel}' increased their numbers. The nests, made of 

 heather and dead rushes, are crowded thickly together along 

 the lough-side, among the short heather and on the soft 

 spongy green moss, or sphagnum. Hardly two eggs are alike, 

 even in the same nest — a sort oi concordia discors. If " birds 

 in their little nests agree " (which is doubtful) certainly their 

 eggs do not. Those of the Gulls are of every shade of greens, 

 blues, and browns : some dark and heavily blotched, others 

 pale and almost spotless ; and the variation even extends to 

 their shape. The full complement of eggs is three ; but 

 some nests hard-sat, or even " chipping " (on May 18th) had 

 but tn-o, or even only a single egg. There were no young 

 fairly hatched out at that date, but on June 2nd, they were 

 out in numbers, some old enough to creep away among the 

 heather. The young Gulls at first are very pretty objects, 

 w'arm yellowish-brown in colour, spotted with black, and with 

 large eyes, full and dark : their beaks and legs pinkish, the 

 former tipped, and the latter shaded, dusky. When fully 

 fledged they are very prettily mottled above with warm browns 

 and black, which contrast pleasingly with the pale French- 

 grey and snowy-whiteness of the rest of their plumage. 



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