NOTES ON THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 121 



But whether owing to a subsequent and more rapid sub- 

 mergence of the land, or owing to the persecutions of egg 

 collectors and others, this custom was abandoned by the gulls, 

 it is certain that just now they are reverting to their former 

 instincts. 



Such is the case, for instance, in Hamford Water, where, as 

 I have previously noted,' of late years a large and flourishing 

 colony of Black- Headed Gulls seems to have permanently estab- 

 lished itself. 



In the summer of 1901 I found that the gulls had settled 

 their nursery on much the same stretch of saltings as they had 

 done the year before, but this time to the west of the creek 

 leading to the hard on Horsey Island, instead of to the East of it, 

 and paying a visit there on June 6th last I soon discovered about 

 30 nests, most of them containing three eggs. 



The little islets in the muddy creeks were especially 

 patronised, and were beyond my reach, but the nests I came 

 across elsewhere v/ere all, as usual, among the thick weeds and 

 grass at the highest point of the saltings, and were of the low 

 and scanty construction which I have previously described. I 

 calculated that there were about 100 birds flying around, much 

 the same numbers as in 1900. 



At the hard on the island close by I met a farmer's boy who 

 asked me if there were any birds breeding on the saltings, and 

 informed me he had never yet seen a gull's egg ; a remark which 

 I considered very satisfactory, though I rejoined that if ever he 

 did happen to do so, it was penal to remove it. 



From Hamford Waters I sailed the next day, June 7th, to 

 the Colne, and on the St. Osyth Marshes by " Bricclesea " I 

 found the Black-headed Gulls as busy and numerous as ever. 



Here also there were about 100 birds wheeling overhead and 

 I soon discovered without any difficulty about 30 to 40 nests ; 

 indeed the birds make no attempt at concealment, as the saltings 

 here are very open, entirely lacking even the slight protection 

 afforded by the denser growth of grass and herbage which 

 characterises Gullery No. 1. 



Though early in the summer (I was a month sooner than 

 usual in my visit), there were several young birds just hatched in 



EssKX Naturalist, Vol. xi., p. 312, Mr. Clark's previous papers on the Essex Black- 

 Headed Gulls will be found in Vol. x., p. 388 and Vol. xi., p. 184. — Ed. 



