BIRDS. 235 



as we sailed past in Harvie-Brown's yacht, we saw these birds with 

 our glass come out of the cliffs like a great snow-drift. 



We think, however, that the following facts, as told us by com- 

 petent observers, may prove of great interest and even of novelty 

 to most people. We quote verbatim the notes sent us by Mr. Watt 

 of Skaill on this species, the loch, which is fresh water, and the 

 locality referred to, being close to his house and on his own pro- 

 perty : " The line of flight of this gull in the nesting season is close 

 to the house. When building their nests it is a constant flight from 

 early morn until late at night, taking a track one way coming from 

 the headlands, and another returning. They pick up a fresh-water 

 weed, that is thrown up on our loch, for the purpose of making 

 their nests soft and comfortable. When their young are out the 

 same flight continues to and fro. I concluded that it was with food 

 for their young, so shot one to see what it was. The crop was full, 

 and on opening it, was astonished to find a mass of Daddy-long-legs, 

 like, at first sight, a ball of worsted. I have never again shot one, 

 and request others not to touch them." 



The following is from Mr. Irvine-Fortescue, and, however 

 strange the fact may appear, we ourselves have no doubt that 

 that gentleman was perfectly right in his identification of the 

 species : " I once saw a pair (of Kitti wakes) in July which had 

 a nest with two young birds on the island in the loch of Skaill, 

 a most unusual site, I should think, for the nest of a Kittiwake. 

 The parent birds had dark legs and feet, so I could not have mistaken 

 them for the Common Gull." 



We extract the following from Buckley's Diary: "June 12th, 

 1888 (Loch of Skaill). The most curious sight to me was to see num- 

 bers of Kittiwakes resting on the loch, which is about 300 yards from 

 the sea, the two nearest breeding-places being one and three miles 

 off. Mr. Watt, however, tells me he has occasionally seen a pair 

 breeding on the island with the Black-headed Gulls. I questioned 

 him particularly about this, and he was quite positive." 



The following notes were made by ourselves in Eousay during 

 the season of 1883, and were partly published in the Proceedings of 

 the Glasgow Natural History Society : " Before beginning to make 

 their nests the Kittiwakes do not frequent the rocks much, but sit 

 in flocks on the water just below. When forming their nests one 

 bird seems to remain at home to guard the materials collected, 



