242 WITH NATUHti AND A OAMEUA. 



females; and on the third, fifteen, made up of 

 nine males and six females. 



While at St. Kilda in the summer of 1890, 

 I noticed (hat the male members of a colony of 

 K it) i wakes breeding on the Doon slept on the 

 same sheltered piece of rock every night, and were, 

 like many land birds I have kept under obser- 

 vation in similar eireumstauces, very punctilious 

 about going to roost. They would alight on the 

 i'<>ck, and, after resting for a few minutes, all rise 

 into the air, uttering their familiar notes with 

 vehement clamour whilst they took a short flight 

 over Village May. This kind of exercise they 

 repeated several times over before finally retiring 

 to rest. 



At the same place tho Great Black-backed 

 (Julls used to betake themselves to an isolated rock 

 called Lavenish every evening to sleep, but were 

 back again by day dawn each morning to scrutinise 

 the beach for food. 



I do not know when Terns sleep, but am per- 

 suaded that they indulge in very little, for whilst 

 staying on the Karne Islands last summer I used 

 to hear the colony of Sandwich, Arctic, and 

 Common Terns making as much clamour and din 

 between eleven and twelve o'clock at night as they 

 did at the same time during the day. 



1 think there is every reason for believing that 

 many members of the Gull family sleep upon the 

 sea even during the breeding season, for in the 

 beginning of June 1 have observed both Herring 

 and Lesser Black Hacks beyond the Dogger Bank 

 at the tirst peep of day assiduously examining 

 the fishermen's nets. 1 am aware, however, that 

 they tly by night in summer-time at any rate, for 

 I have seen them come and alight close beside me 



