224 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XVI. 



I have often observed that the black-headed gull 

 eats a great deal of corn in the newly sown fields; 

 and I now find that the lesser black-backed gull 

 does the same, as I shot one which had a handful 

 of corn (oats and barley) in its crop, mixed up 

 with worms, grubs, etc. 



The fishermen at Nairn found, on the 26th of 

 this month, a very fine northern diver, drowned in 

 the stake-nets set for salmon. They tell me that it 

 is not a solitary instance, as every year they get one 

 or two at this season. This is another proof that 

 this bird must breed somewhere on the Scotch coast, 

 although I never heard of its eggs being found. 



The coots and dabchicks have already com- 

 menced making their large platform of a nest. I 

 found one on the loch which the bird had fastened 

 on a floating tree that had grounded in a shallow; 

 but which, having again got adrift, owing to a rise 

 in the loch, had been driven by the wind until it 

 stuck fast close to the shore, where the old bird was 

 still at work. One bird seems to remain in the nest 

 while its mate brings it rushes, which the stationary 

 bird disposes of by adding them to the already large 

 structure, till it seems sufficiently high above the 

 water and solid enough to resist wind and weather. 

 The whole nest is firm enough to bear a much 

 greater weight than is ever imposed on it. 



