BONAPARTIAN GULL. 473 



their clamours;" but the species has for many years past been 

 on the decrease, and would now appear to occur in very limited 

 numbers in localities where formerly it abounded. 



BONAPARTIAN GULL. 



LARUS BONAPARTIL 



I HAVE not been able satisfactorily to trace the occurrence of this 

 bird anywhere in Scotland since 1851, in which year a single 

 specimen was obtained on Loch Lomond by Sir George Leith, 

 Bart., as recorded by that gentleman in the 'Zoologist' for that 

 year. I have on several occasions, when boating on Loch 

 Lomond, seen black-headed gulls, which I knew were not the 

 common species; but evidence of this nature is, of course, inad- 

 missible when speaking of a bird which can only with certainty 

 be identified in the hand. Yet I have no doubt that a prudent 

 and skilful sportsman might, if so inclined, discover this species 

 and the little gull to be at least occasional visitors to the lake 

 referred to. It contains, among its numerous attractions, a safe 

 asylum for feathered wanderers Inchmoin; and it is not unlikely 

 that the extent of feeding ground afforded by this beautiful sheet 

 of water may yet prove an attraction to birds of this family, which 

 can only in the meantime be regarded as occasional and uncertain 

 stragglers. 



OBS. THE CUNEATE-TAILED GULL (Larm Rossi) may be 

 included in this list, on the authority of Dr Saxby, who states 

 that in Shetland, in the summer of 1854, he shot a gull, which, 

 although unknown to him at the time, and unfortunately lost, 

 was without doubt an example of this very rare species. Its 

 description and measurements are still in the note-book which 

 he carried at the time.* 



SABINE'S GULL (Larus Sabini) may be included on the same 

 authority, Dr Saxby having communicated to the 'Naturalist/ for 

 1865, a note of the occurrence of two examples in Shetland. The 

 following note, from Sir John Richardson's 'Journal of a Boat 

 Voyage,' gives later information than is furnished by Mr Yarrell 



* In the Ibis for 1865 the editor, Professor Newton, has expressed his 

 belief that there are not more than five specimens of this bird existing in 

 scientific collections. 



