126 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



a year or two ago were tenanted by prosperous 

 colonies of Gulls, from which every bird has 

 been driven. With pathetic love for their old 

 homes they return each spring, in ever-decreasing 

 numbers, only to be ruthlessly destroyed by the 

 keeper's gun and their corpses left floating among 

 the peat and rushes. 



Some years ago I was grieved to find on a moss, 

 where the year before they had nested in peace 

 and security, a solitary Gull rendered quite helpless 

 by a broken wing, the result of a keeper's misplaced 

 zeal. I carried it home under the focussing cloth 

 of my camera and a friend succeeded in keeping it 

 for a considerable period, during which it became 

 quite tame. One day, however, it escaped and 

 was never seen or heard of since. 



As far as I am aware there is not the slightest proof 

 that the Black-headed Gull purloins the eggs of 

 game-birds ; and I believe the reason of the war 

 waged against it by certain keepers is the result 

 of confusing this species with that of the Common 

 Gull, which certainly does at times carry off the 

 eggs of the Ptarmigan. 



In one instance that I know of, there were 

 several " Gulleries " on a marshy tract of moorland 

 within a few miles of each other. Owing to the 

 constant persecution of several keepers, however, 

 the Gulls were driven from all their haunts with 

 the exception of one. This latter, always a favour- 

 ite resort, was thereupon invaded by all the birds 

 which had been driven from their erstwhile re- 

 treats, until thousands of Gulls were nesting in 

 the swamp. The wrath of the keepers knew no 

 bounds, but luckily the proprietor of the moor 

 was an enthusiastic bird-lover and forbade the 



