236 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XVII. 



All other birds seemed to be kept away from the 

 lake by the gulls, excepting a few mallards, who 

 were swimming about in a state of bachelorhood, 

 their wives and families being probably in some 

 more quiet and solitary pool in the neighbouring 

 peat-mosses. When the mallards rose they were so 

 completely puzzled and " lebothered " by the thou- 

 sands of gulls who were darting and screaming 

 about them, that they gave up attempting to fly 

 away, and came plump down again into the water. 



Although the gulls may know each its own nest, 

 it is difficult to understand how they can recognise 

 their young ones amongst the thousands of little 

 downy things which, towards the end of the hatch- 

 ing season, are floating about upon the water. There 

 is another nesting-place of the black-headed gulls 

 in the forest of Darnaway, where they have taken 

 possession of a small loch surrounded by trees. 

 They usually, however, like all other water-fowl, 

 prefer establishing their breeding-place on a loch 

 situated in the open country, where they can have 

 a good view all around so as to descry the ap- 

 proach of any enemy ; but undisturbed possession 

 and quiet have induced them to remain on the 

 Darnaway loch, although it is shut in by trees. 



June is generally the best month of the year for 

 angling in Scotland: the loch trout are by this time 



