164 



in marshy districts or on the islands in some large 

 piece of fresh water. 



I was previously unaware that this species 

 would destroy small birds. It was however 

 recently stated (I suppose on good authority) in the 

 " Zoologist" that such was occasionally the case. 

 Its food for the most part, I believe, consists of 

 insects, beetles, worms, grubs, and moths, varied of 

 course during the winter by marine animalcules 

 and such refuse as it is able to pick up along the 

 shore. 



A large colony of these birds presents an 

 exceedingly lively spectacle about the middle of 

 June. Owing to their nests having been in many 

 cases frequently plundered, young of all sizes may 

 be observed, from the small downy chick just 

 breaking the egg-shell to the full-fledged bird that 

 is taking its first flight. 



As will be seen by the specimens in the case 

 the eggs of this species vary considerably. 



The mature birds were obtained near Lairg in 

 Sutherland in June, 1868, the young and eggs 

 being taken at a small piece of water (known in 

 Gaelic by a name that signifies the " Muddy Loch,") 

 near Tain in Ross-shire in June, 1869. 



COMMON GULL. (SUMMER). 



Case 238. 



Although it is stated as a fact in several 

 ornithological works that this Gull nests in the 

 cliffs on the sea-coast, I have never myself been so 

 fortunate as to witness a single instance where this 

 was the case ; the whole of the breeding-stations 

 that I have met with being either on islands in 

 fresh- water lochs or on the open moors in the 

 Highlands. 



There is a colony on a small hill loch in 

 Glenlyon in the north-west of Perthshire where I 

 have frequently observed scores of these birds 



