236 IN 1URD-LAND 



It was the reed-bed farthest off that the Gulls 

 occupied ; and in passing the spot one could not 

 see any signs of nests from the main stream. 

 The instant that we penetrated through the outer 

 ring of reeds the whole colony rose in a body, 

 screaming and flying round and round aloft, and 

 making the most unearthly noise. Some of the 

 bolder ones swooped down quite near to our boats, 

 and those which had broods flew to their nests, 

 fluttered over them, and were evidently calling to 

 the little occupants to hide themselves from in- 

 truding enemies. On getting closer, we found some 

 young Gulls to be doing this to the best of their 

 ability. In one nest two little dark brown fluffy 

 Gulls, not long hatched, were trying to crawl over 

 the edge of their nest to get to the water, and one 

 which succeeded in doing this scrambled away, and 

 was soon lost sight of. The other I succeeded in 

 photographing only just before it tumbled out of 

 the nest. The parents seemed almost frantic while 

 I was photographing their family, and flew down 

 quite close to the camera. 



Leaving these, we rowed alongside several other 

 nests, each of which usually contained three eggs, 

 and so close were these built together that several 

 could be taken on one plate. One nest contained 

 a beautiful clutch of eggs, one of which was of a 



