588 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



under the system of protection, they have increased 

 to countless multitudes, and no doubt will continue 

 to do so. The nests were very numerous on the 4th 

 of April, when I was there, so much so that care had 

 to be taken in stepping not to crush the eggs, but 

 about the 15th, the keeper tells me, the number of 

 nests will be greatly increased. The nests, composed 

 of rough grass, rushes or pieces of stubble, were 

 scattered broadcast, the centre of every tuft of rushes 

 being occupied: the eggs numbered from two to 

 four, generally three ; the nests with two had pro- 

 bably not their proper complement." 



The food of the Blackheaded Gull includes nearly 

 everything it can pick up and swallow : it flits about 

 the dirtiest of harbours and tidal rivers, picking up 

 any floating substance it can find, however nasty, or 

 over the bright blue sea, where it picks up any un- 

 fortunate fish that comes too near the surface : it 

 frequents also ploughed lands, following the plough, 

 like a Rook, in search of the worms and grubs that 

 happen to turn up. Anywhere it is a very pretty 

 sight to watch this bright-looking Gull on the feed, 

 for neither ploughed fields nor dirty rivers ever seem 

 to sulty its plumage in the least, or to soil the bright 

 red legs and feet, which it constantly lets down for a 

 moment when picking anything from the water, as if 

 it intended to stand on the surface. How omniverous 

 this bird is may at once be seen from the numerous 

 articles of food which Mr. Blake-Knox, in the 



