304 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



[vol. XIII. 



June 5th the bird was sitting ; four days later, however, 

 when I revisited it to take a photograph I found it empty. 

 I therefore went on to where we had marked the third pair. 

 These behaved in exactly the same way as the others, soaring 

 at a good height for prolonged periods and quite silently, 

 except for an occasional low moaning noise. They were more 

 wary, however, and even more difficult to watch to the nest 

 than the others, owing to the fact that for lack of cover this 



COMMON GULL, DUNGENESS, KENT, JUNE II, IQIQ. 



" She . . . shuffled down and sat." 

 {Photographed by N. F. Ticehurst.) 



had to be done from a considerable distance. This nest, 

 similar to the others and containing three typical eggs, was 

 situated on a tiny patch of sparse grass and short sorrel on a 

 large flat expanse of perfectly bare shingle. The photograph 

 of the nest was taken on this day. 



On the loth I spent three and a half hours in a fruitless 

 endeavour to photograph the first pair of birds at the nest. 

 On this occasion they were more wary than on our first visit. 

 The sitting bird left the nest while I was still a good distance 

 away and I had to take cover and watch her back before 

 I could find it. As soon as I entered my hide, however, 



