BLACK-HEADED GtJLL. 



331 



waters, tells me that lie finds many birds dead on and 

 about their nests, which have evidently been shot by the 

 " sportsmen " on the river. There is the satisfaction 

 of knowing that so far as it is possible to protect these 

 interesting birds, both here and at Scoulton, they are 

 perfectly safe from undue molestation, and the result 

 is that at Hoveton they are increasing rapidly in 

 number. Occasionally small parties will wander away 

 from the main body and set up housekeeping on their 

 own account, as at Barton, Hickling, Woodbastwick, 

 Somerton, and some other localities, but none of these 

 offsets have been permanent. Mr. Frank Norgate in- 

 forms me that in June, 1877, a man told him black- 

 headed gulls used to nest at Brancaster " years ago." 



Colonel Feilden tells me that one of the creeks in 

 Wells marshes, leading into the main harbour creek, 

 still retains the name of " Mow creek," as it was for- 

 merly the resort of black-headed gulls in the breeding 

 season. Frederick Barrett, the well known shore- 

 shooter, whose experience as a gunner on the Wells 

 coast extends over forty years, does not remember the 

 gulls nesting at Mow creek ; but Barrett's father, also 

 a gunner, did so perfectly, and often told his son that, 

 standing on Wells quay, a man with a spy-glass could 

 see the birds sitting on their nests. The date of the 

 gulls leaving Wells marshes as a breeding-place would 

 be at least fifty years ago, but in the spring of each year 

 they return to Mow creek, and frequent it for several 

 days, though they never stay or attempt to make a nest 

 there. 



I fear I have not space to add much with regard to 

 the nesting habits of these birds, but so much has been 

 already said by others on this subject that I preferred 

 devoting all my available space to a history of their 

 various breeding-places past and present. 



At Hoveton, as I have said, the nests are placed on 

 the broken-down vegetation, and are chiefly constructed 

 of dead reeds and " gladdens,"* lined with the leaves of 



* In the broad district Typha angustifolia is known as the 

 " gladdon," and T. latifolia as the " she gladdon." Scirpus lacustris 

 is here called " boulder." 

 2T2 



