230 Some Interesting Binh. 



This species is pretty generally distributed around our 

 coasts, and also in the Baltic, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, 

 the Eed Sea, and the coasts of 'North America. NotaV)lo 

 nesting places are the coasts of Devon, Cornwall, Wales, Tsle 

 of Man, Scotland, and Ireland. I may specially mention on 

 pajsani the settlements on the Scilly Isles (where our illu:"-- 

 trations were taken), Parne Islands, the Northern Shetlands and 

 the Outer Hebrides. In Ireland this specie? nests both on the 

 coasts, and near inland lakes, but the former position is the 

 most common. Rocky Islands and steep cliffs are its favourit;' 

 nesting sites. 



The nest is rather a large one, constructed of seaweed, 

 grass stacks, and a few twigs, with a slight hollow or cup 

 for the eggs (see phofo). 



'The eggs, three in number, vary considerably, 'the 

 ground colour being mostly buff, blue, or green, and either 

 spotted and lined all over, or only at the 'arger end of (he 

 egg. Size 2.8 by 1.9 



It has been many years since I visited a Gull -colony, 

 but the memory is ever with me and I certainly envy my 

 friend, Mr. H. Willford, his experiences in the Scilly Isle^ 

 this season. 



As I pen these notes, I live over again the experi- 

 ences of the past, and the imp^ressions recalled may well tlnd 

 a place here. 



The noisy, busy life of a breeding colony is apparently 

 continuous. The apparent oneness of the mated pairs, the 

 complete sharing of the duties of domestic life by both sexes, 

 and their al>vorption in the one business of life, viz., the 

 reproduction of their kind— t!e many pleasing episodes which 

 go to make up the above, how they appeal to the bird lover: 

 during incubation, when the time comes for relieving each 

 other comes round— the mate of the incubating bird is always 

 near, for after foraging and feeding it always returns to the 

 neighbourhood of the nest, and sits near it— how carefully the 

 sitting bird rises and appears to examine the eggs (see 

 photos), and with like care the other takes its place, ap- 

 parently examining and turning the eggs before settling down 

 to incubation. Then again, such scenes are repeated as :hey 

 "change guard" while brooding the young; how tender and 



