58 EXCURSIONS TO LOCH LOMONDSIDE. 



period. Before leaving the island the entomologists present had 

 captured Melanippe tristata, Hypsipetes trifasciata, and Eupithecia 

 nanata. Returning after a brief interval to the landing-place, the 

 boats were again manned, and after rounding the north end of 

 Inchtavannach the flotilla proceeded through Luss Straits — the 

 sound separating Inchtavannach and Inchconachan — and so on 

 to Inchmoan, or the gull island. This island, the highest point 

 of which is only thirty-three feet above sea level, formerly supplied 

 peats to the people of the Luss district. It has been for a long 

 period a place of much interest to ornithologists as the nesting 

 place of large numbers of birds, chiefly gulls. The two species 

 hitherto most largely represented were the black-headed gull {Larus 

 ridibundus) and the lesser black- back {Larus fuscus). It was with 

 great regret that those present learnt that the colony of black- 

 headed gulls had not reappeared in the spring of the year of our 

 visit, nor have they since done so, the locality having been 

 apparently abandoned in 1889, but from what cause was unknown. 

 The lesser black-back, however, continues in considerable num- 

 bers, and many of the simple nests of this species were seen, 

 under a clump of ling, a bush of bog-myrtle, or the shade of the 

 alders by the loch-side. The cloudberry {Rubies Chamcemorus), 

 which is so naturally associated with our sub-alpine heights, was 

 here found in flower, also the tufted loosestrife {Lysimachia 

 thyrsiflord). Crab-apple trees here and on Inchtavannach were 

 much admired for their wealth of delicately tinted bloom. The 

 marshy heaths on the island proved fruitful hunting ground for 

 the entomologists, great numbers of the common heath moth 

 {Fidonia atomaria) being on the wing, and among the captures 

 were Bupalus piniaria, Cabera pusaria, a female of the emperor 

 moth {Saturnia pavonia), also larvae of the drinker moth 

 ( Odotiestis potatorid). 



Again embarking, the party proceeded to Rossdhu, passing on 

 the way the islet Inchgalbraith, with its "ivy-mantled tower," on 

 which, till early in this century, the osprey {Pandion haliaetus) 

 nested. The author of The Moor and the Loch shot the female 

 and trapped the male of the pair which had long built there. In 

 maturer years he bitterly regretted having been " the means of 

 expelling from the loch of my ancestors the most romantic and 

 time-honoured dependant on its bounty." 



