104 The Birds of Pembrokeshire. 
HERRING GULL, Zarus argentatus—A common resident. The 
Herring Gull may be seen on our coasts all the year, and nests 
in great numbers upon the various islands, and also on many 
of the cliffs on the coasts. Since the Sea Birds’ Preservation 
Act this Gull has greatly increased in numbers, and on Skomer 
Island devours so many of the young rabbits, as to occasion 
serious loss, as we were informed by Mr. Vaughan Davies, the 
tenant. One of the sights of St. David’s is the number of 
Herring Gulls that may always be seen in the fields surrounding 
that romantic little cathedral city. In the spring our fields at 
Stone Hall were visited by flocks of Herring Gulls, and, at all 
times of the year, in rough weather, numbers of the birds 
forsaking the shores would be seen searching the fields for food 
far inland. We have received from Mr. C. Jefferys, of Tenby, 
avery pretty photograph of a Herring Gull’s nest, taken 77 sttu, 
with the three speckled eggs clearly visible. The nest is a large, 
untidy structure of grass. 
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, Zarus fuscus.— A common 
resident. Not so numerous as the Herring Gull, this species is 
nevertheless, well represented in Pembrokeshire, and nests 
- upon the various islands, selecting the ground on the topmost 
slopes of the cliffs, and there breeding in small societies of 
from twenty to thirty pairs, apart from the other Gulls, in places 
where it is perfectly easy to walk among the nests, and to 
admire the beautiful clutches of eggs. This Gull is also a 
greedy stealer and devourer of other birds’ eggs, young rabbits, 
&c., and like the Herring Gull, comes far inland, visiting the 
meadows in the spring, at which season we always saw some in 
our fields at Stone Hall, in company with the Common and 
Herring Gulls. 
COMMON GULL, Zarus canus.—An autumn and winter visitor. 
Although named the “ Common” Gull, this species is by no 
means so numerous either as the Herring Gull, or the Kitti- 
wake, and does not nest with us, going northwards in the spring 
