57 



St. Margaret's Bay appear to be great favorites, and sometimes in Spring 

 there is scarcely an available spot between these places that has not 

 a gull's nest upon it. I have counted upon a rock, not more than eight 

 or nine feet square, as many as twenty five birds sitting. Some build 

 a true nest, whilst others lay their eggs upon the pure chalk, or amongst 

 the growing herbage, if any. They usually lay two or three eggs, 

 which are of a light olive brown color, blotched and spotted with dark 

 umber and black. "When a nest is made it is usually constructed of dry 

 grasses, and sea-weed, but I have seen pieces of rag or rope intermixed. 



Gulls frequently lay their eggs at the bottom of the cliff, or even 

 i;pon the beach without any nest or even signs of one ; but those so easy 

 of access are sure to be found and picked up, as many persons are on the 

 watch for them. 



The earliest date I have been able to find an egg has been the first 

 of May, and the earliest young bird was upon the first of June, so 

 I suppose the period of incubation is from three to four weeks, probably 

 the latter. 



I noticed a very large nest last season, neatly made and of a good 

 shape, it stood more than a foot high, and was placed upon a sloping 

 piece of rock, on which an egg could not possibly have remained if not 

 retained by the materials brouj;ht together. Visiting the spot frequently, 

 I remarked that theie was always another gull sitting beside the nest. 

 I startled the birds off, and upon each occasion of their return there was 

 a desperate contest as to which of the two should be the incubator, the 

 vanquished one then took up the position I had noticed to be occupied 

 close by, and settled down there, apparently awaiting its opportunity to 

 sit in turn upon the eggs when the other left. I could not see into the 

 nest to ascertain the number of eggs, but I have no doubt that they 

 were the eggs of both birds, and probably each had assisted in the 

 building. 



The nestling gull is very similar in coloration to the egg it has lately 

 quitted, and may be easily overlooked by any one, even when directly 

 opposite. Like young ducks they run about as soon as hatched and 

 travel about the cliff where practicable, but this is not without danger, 

 for they oftentimes lose their balance, and tumbling to the bottom are 

 either wounded or killed by the fall, indeed, I have frequently, after 

 a very strong wind, found young birds under the cliff, that had evidently 

 met their death through having been blown off in the night. 



There has lately been a very large fall of the cliff near the CornhiU 

 Coast Guard station which has destroyed one of the best breeding 

 grounds of the Herring Gull in this neighbourhood." 



Large cases exemplifying life histories of the Herring Gull were 

 exhibited, and stuffed specimens of the bu'ds in all periods from the 

 nestling to the adult. 



