HERRING GULL. 305 



haps more local, scarcely so abundant as the last, 

 and by Mr. Selby is considered comparatively more 

 rare on the Northumbrian coast, being there sup- 

 planted by the lesser black-backed species. Further 

 up the Firth it is not uncommon, and a large colony 

 breeds on and seems to have taken possession for 

 themselves of a precipitous cliff on the east side of 

 the Puffin Island, off North Berwick Harbour. 

 We are aware also of other parties breeding on 

 similar situations on the Solway, accompanied, as 

 we mentioned, with the preceding bird, and we be- 

 lieve that marshy situations or islands on fresh- water 

 lochs are never selected for this purpose. On the 

 Continent it ranges from the coasts of France to 

 those of Italy ; out of Europe, it is said to be found 

 at Madeira* and in Asia Minor. t Audubon founrl 

 the Herring Gull distributed in America from the 

 Gulf of Mexico to Labrador, and describes the man- 

 ners of a colony which he found on Whitehead 

 Island in the Bay of Fundy. The Gulls here were 

 breeding on the pine trees, some forty feet from the 

 ground, others with the nest only seven or eight, 

 and placed close to the bole of the tree; others, 

 again, (what he considered to be the younger birds), 

 made the nest on the ground. Mr. Frankland re- 

 collected when the birds commenced to select the 

 trees, for they all previously built on the ground ; 

 and considered that it was an instinctive care thnt 

 had induced them to breed out of reach, from the 

 nests on the ground being constantly robbed, 

 * Dr. Henniken. f M". Strickland. 



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