588 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
under the system of protection, they have increased 
to countless multitudes, and no doubt will continue 
to do so. The nests were very numerous on the 4th 
of April, when I was there, so much so that care had 
to be taken in stepping not to crush the eggs, but 
about the 15th, the keeper tells me, the number of 
nests will be greatly increased. The nests, composed 
of rough grass, rushes or pieces of stubble, were 
scattered broadcast, the centre of every tuft of rushes 
being occupied: the eggs numbered from two to 
four, generally three; the nests with two had pro- 
bably not their proper complement.” 
The food of the Blackheaded Gull includes nearly 
everything it can pick up and swallow: it flits about 
the dirtiest of harbours and tidal rivers, picking up 
any floating substance it can find, however nasty, or 
over the bright blue sea, where it picks up any un- 
fortunate fish that comes too near the surface: it 
frequents also ploughed lands, following the plough, 
like a Rook, in search of the worms and grubs that 
happen to turn up. Anywhere it is a very pretty 
sight to watch this bright-looking Gull on the feed, 
for neither ploughed fields nor dirty rivers ever seem 
to sully its plumage in the least, or to soil the bright 
red legs and feet, which it constantly lets down for a 
moment when picking anything from the water, as if 
it intended to stand on the surface. How omniverous 
this bird is may at once be seen from the numerous 
articles of food which Mr. Blake-Knox, in the 
