1 86 HILLSIDE, ROCK, AND DALE 



short, guttural notes take another step forward and 

 stand as before. There were two eider duck's eggs 

 near, which had been left exposed, and we had to 

 watch these to see that the gulls did not steal them. 

 Happily the duck soon returned, and her eggs were 

 not disturbed, although more than one gull had cast 

 longing eyes upon them. 



We wanted to find a herring-gull's nest; but as the 

 two species lay eggs which are so much alike that 

 it is impossible to distinguish them, it was necessary 

 to watch the groups of sitting birds to see if we 

 could see the lighter back of the herring-gull. 



One of the watchers, who live on these islands 

 during the spring and summer, remarked that very 

 few herring-gulls were breeding there during that 

 season ; but after most of the flying birds had 

 settled we recognised one of this species lower down 

 among the rocks. It was impossible to get a photo- 

 graph, as she left before we were near enough. The 

 nest of three eggs was quite surrounded with those 

 of lesser black-backed gulls, and a nest of the latter 

 species contained one abnormally large egg and one 

 extremely small one. This was photographed ; but 

 in the picture the difference which in the original 

 was so marked, does not show in the same degree. 

 The crowds of gulls standing among the sea-campion 

 made a pretty picture; but to see these birds to 

 the best advantage they need to be on the black 



