236 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CII, XVII. 



to be kept away from the lake by the gulls, except- 

 ing a few mallards, who were swimming about in a 

 state of bachelorhood, their wives and families 

 being probably in some more quiet and solitary 

 pool in the neighbouring peat mosses. When the 

 mallards rose they were so completely puzzled and 

 '■'' hehothered'' by the thousands of gulls who were 

 darting and screaming about them, that they gave 

 up attempting to fly away, and came plump down 

 again into the water. 



Although the gulls may know each its own nest, 

 it is diflRcult to understand how they can recognise 

 their young ones amongst the thousands of little 

 downy things which towards the end of the hatching 

 season are floating about upon the water. There 

 is another nesting-place of the black-headed gulls 

 in the forest of Darn away, where they have taken 

 possession of a small loch surrounded by trees. 

 They usually, however, like all other water-fowl, 

 prefer establishing their breeding-place on a loch 

 situated in the open country, where they can have 

 a good view all around so as to descry the approach 

 of any enemy ; but undisturbed possession and quiet 

 have induced them to remain on the Darnaway 

 loch, although it is shut in by trees. 



June is generally the best month of the year for 

 angling in Scotland : the loch trout are by this time 



