230 BIRDS. 



Mr. T. S. Peace, Architect, Kirkwall, informed Mr. Ranken 

 that he has seen two specimens of this gull which he tried to 

 shoot, but in each case was unsuccessful. One bird was in the 

 Bay of Firth, the other in the Peerie Loch, close to Kirkwall. 



Mr. Millais informs us that an immature Ivory Gull was 

 shot at Longhope by Mr. Robertson, in December 1886, and 

 stuifed by Mr. Begg of Stromness. 



Some fishermen informed Mr. Monteith-Ogilvie that they 

 saw a white gull on the beach at Papa Westray, while he was 

 there in December 1889. They described it to him as half-way 

 in size between a Kitti (Kittiwake) and a " White Maa " 

 (Common Gull), and all white, with no black on the wings : the 

 Common Gulls kept mobbing it and driving it away. This 

 would most likely have been an Ivory Gull. 



A later communication from Mr. Monteith-Ogilvie informs us 

 that an Ivory Gull, most likely the same bird just described, 

 was shot in Pierowall Bay, Westray, by Henry Drever, on 

 December 9th, 1889. It appears to be an immature bird, as there 

 are a few black spots on the back, only two or three on the breast, 

 the tips of the primaries are black, a few black feathers on the 

 head, and the little feathers round the gape are slate-coloured. 



Larus ridibundus, L. Black-headed Gull, 



Qrc.=RittocJc. Hoodie-craw (Low; and this name has been 

 perhaps imported from Caithness). 



Observed by Low as breeding in S. Ronaldsay, and is a numerous 

 and resident species at this present time. In 1888 we visited 

 many breeding-places of this gull, the largest colony being in 

 K Eonaldsay. On the islands of Damsay and Eynhallow the 

 Black-headed Gull breeds in the driest places, some of the nests 

 on the latter island being quite as exposed as, and far less 

 carefully constructed than, those of the Common Gull. On a 

 small artificial island in the Loch of Skaill, these birds breed 

 so abundantly that it is almost impossible to put one's foot 

 down without treading on their eggs. 



On February 29th, 1888, Mr. Irvine-Fortescue noticed these 

 gulls in all stages of assuming their black heads ; he also 



