302 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION 



during the daytime ; but une came to the lantern at 

 2.30 A.M. on 1 6th October. 



When migratory birds did not present themselves, I 

 found much to interest me in the habits of the Gulls, 

 Gannets, Shags, and Cormorants, some of which were 

 always present during the daytime. All the ordinary 

 Gulls were observed, save the Common and the Black- 

 headed species. I noted a fact regarding the food of 

 the Herring-Gull, the most abundant species, which I 

 do not remember to have seen mentioned, though it may 

 have been recorded — namely, that this bird feeds exten- 

 sively on seaweed, especially on the kind known as 

 *' sea - thongs " {^Himanthalia lo7xa). Almost daily, 

 masses of this and other weeds drifted past on the tide, 

 and each patch had one or more of these gulls floating 

 alongside it, busily engaged in detaching suitable pieces 

 from the long orange-brown strings, which were swallowed 

 with avidity. They often squabbled among themselves 

 for the possession of such food-supplies. I never saw 

 the Lesser Black-backs, which were present in consider- 

 able numbers, pay any attention whatever to these 

 flotsam patches of weed. 



The Gannets afforded special opportunities for ob- 

 serving their habits. These birds fished round the 

 lighthouse in numbers, and with marked success, when 

 the sea was rough or its surface agitated ; but when the 

 sea was calm and its surface unruffled, they merely 

 passed on their way to other fishing-grounds, well know- 

 ing that it was useless to attempt to capture the wily 

 pollack, the object of their quest, when there was no 

 ripple on the face of the waters. The best fishing- 

 grounds lay at the very edge of the reefs, and hence 

 quite close to the tower ; and thus from my elevated and 



