fond of frequenting harbours for the scraps of offal which it picks up, or 

 meadows irrigated by sewage. 



Nesting operations are commenced during the last half of May in this 

 country, and fresh eggs may be found till well on in June, especially if the 

 first nests be robbed of their contents. The nest is an untidy one, loosely 

 constructed of dead grass, sea-campion, bits of sea-pink torn up by the roots, 

 and a few large feathers, or straws, and is generally placed in some niche in 

 the rocks, on some grassy ledge on the cliffs, or on swampy ground, sometimes 

 among the heather on some moor. I have seen a nest placed on the top of a 

 turf dyke in Shetland. 



Three is the usual number of eggs laid. They are subject to a good deal 

 of variation, though they do not go through such infinite varieties as those 

 of the Black-headed Gull. The ground-colour may be any shade from pale buff 

 to dark olive-brown, sometimes even rich dark brown ; many specimens have 

 pale pea-green ground-colour, varying to dark olive-green. The spots are 

 seldom very large. Surface-markings are various shades of brown, sometimes 

 very nearly black, and the underlying markings are sometimes brownish grey, 

 and sometimes purplish grey, according to the nature of the ground-colour. 

 The markings are generally most abundant on the large end of the egg, and 

 take the form of irregular blotches. I have taken some specimens covered with 

 curious irregular scrawlings all over the surface, and have one clutch which is 

 very dark brown at the large end, tapering to a dirty white at the point of 

 the egg ; there are almost no markings on these specimens. The eggs vary in 

 length from 2*40 to 2' 12 inches, and in breadth from i'75 to 1*58 inches. 



Young in down are greyish buff mottled on the upper parts with very 

 dark brown. Only one brood is reared in the year. The young in down can 

 run with some speed when alarmed, but prefer to crouch down in some 

 hollow, or beside some stone or tuft of grass, trusting to their protective 

 colouring to escape notice. The old birds are very careful of their progeny, 

 and will swoop down angrily at any one who ventures too near. 



