BIRD-LIFE ALONG THE SHORE. 2OI 



records for every month, but it does not appear in 

 any numbers before the end of August or early 

 in September. They stay about the Devonshire 

 coasts until March or the beginning of April, 

 when the black or rather dark brown head is 

 fully assumed. We have several notes of the 

 exceptionally early assumption of the dark head, 

 from the beginning of January onwards, but the 

 hood is by no means general before the end of 

 February or early in March. Our young friend, 

 Mr. W. Else, curator of the Torquay Museum, 

 informs us that he saw a pair of these birds with 

 full brown hoods on the 2/th of November during 

 the present year (1898). During the sprat season, 

 in November especially, this Gull sometimes con- 

 gregates in very large numbers about the seine- 

 boats and the fish quays, fluttering to and fro, eagerly 

 waiting for any of the spoil that it may chance to 

 see within reach. We have seen the Black-headed 

 Gull seize a sprat lying on the surface of the water 

 and carry it off, followed by several Herring Gulls 

 which chased and buffeted the poor bird until it 

 was compelled to drop its prize, when one of the 

 larger Gulls would secure it and then in its turn 

 become the pursued. Black-headed Gulls are very 



