KITTIWAKE. 333 



follow with great persistency, all kinds of garbage 

 lying on the beach ; indeed they are noted for the 

 foul things which their bill of fare contains. 



The favourite nesting places of the Herring Gulls 

 are the flat edges of the upper part of a cliff. Other 

 nests are found on the ground in uninhabited islands, 

 such as the Fame Islands, which we might certainly 

 christen ''The Sea-birds' Cradle". The nests as a 

 rule are very large and bulky, made of tufts of grass 

 and seaweeds and lined with fine grass. At other 

 times and when on the ground they are much slighter 

 in their construction. 



The eggs are usually three in number, greenish or 

 buff colour, spotted and blotched with dark brown and 

 grey. Many of the eggs are quite indistinguishable 

 from those of the Common Gull and the Great Black- 

 backed Gull and even the Lesser Black-backed Gull, 

 so that great care must be taken in making sure of 

 any specimens that one may possess. If the first or 

 second clutch is taken, the bird will continue laying. 



The general appearance of the plumage of the 

 Herring Gull is similar to that of the other Gulls, but 

 the grey on the back and wings is lighter in colour. 



These birds become very tame in confinement. 

 They require plenty of water. 



KITTIWAKE. 



LARUS TRIDACTYLUS. 



Family Larid^. Genus Larus. 



The Kittiwake, so called from its note, which re- 

 sembles this word, or "get away,'' seems to be a 

 resident bird on our coasts, though in the autumn 



