478 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



birds are alike. I may mention that Mr Mitchell also showed me 

 several specimens of the Black-Headed Gull, which were tinged 

 with a beautiful rose colour on the breast, suffused through the 

 feathers, as if they had been dyed. These specimens retained 

 the colour for some weeks; but, as is known to occur with 

 specimens of the sandwich and roseate terns, they finally lost it. 

 I have never seen the rose tint so strong in west coast specimens. 



THE KITTIWAKE GULL. 



LARUS TRIDACTYLUS. 



Seagir. 



THE familiar Kittiwake is extremely common on the west coast, 

 where there are many breeding stations ranging from the Scaur 

 Rocks, in the bay of Luce, to the Island of Handa, off the coast of 

 Sutherlandshire on the one hand, and from Barra Head to Sule- 

 skeir and Rona on the other. It is abundant during the summer 

 months on Ailsa Craig, and the Mull of Oe in Islay, the Island of 

 Rum, where there is an extensive breeding colony, the Shiant Isles, 

 Haskeir Rocks, and St. Kilda. I have nowhere seen greater 

 numbers than in the North Minch, at the close of the season, 

 when the breeding ledges are deserted. Very large flocks then 

 assemble and remain congregated until the weather becomes 

 unseasonable, when they migrate southwards. On the shores 

 of the western mainland, however, considerable numbers of 

 Kit ti wakes are seen from time to time throughout the winter 

 season frequenting harbours and sheltered bays, and feeding upon 

 garbage which they find floating upon the water. I observed such 

 flocks constantly during the winters of 1866-67-68-69 and 70 in 

 the Firth of Clyde and along the coast of Ayrshire. Mr Alston 

 informs me that he has been aware of the occurrence of Kittiwakes 

 in Ayrshire in the winter time for some years. Several adult 

 specimens in my own collection were shot near Helensburgh, in 

 Dumbartonshire, in January and February, 1867. 



Throughout the summer months the Kittiwake is the com- 

 monest species of gull to be met with at sea, especially within a 

 mile or two of the breeding haunts ; and a crowd of them fishing 

 about sunset affords a very interesting sight, illustrating the 

 manner in which a bird so slight and airy-looking can capture its 



