44 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



of this bird ought to be read in full; it is, however, too 

 long for reproduction here. The following are the chief 

 facts narrated: — In the course of the summer of 1818, 

 Neill had a "big scorie" brought to him "by a ISTewhaven 

 fisher-boy, who mentioned that it had been picked up at sea, 

 about the mouth of the Firth of Forth. The bird was not 

 then fully fledged: it was quite uninjured: it quickly 

 learned to feed on potatoes and kitchen refuse, along with 

 some ducks; and it soon became more familiar than they, 

 often peeping in at the kitchen window in hopes of getting 

 a bit of fat meat, which it relished highly." It used to 

 follow his servant about the doors, " expanding its wings, 

 and vociferating for food." After two moults it began to 

 assume " the dark plumage of the back, and the shape and 

 colour of the bill of the Lartis marinus, or Great Black- 

 backed Gull." A pair of Lesser Black-backs which he also 

 then possessed " had never allowed the newcomer to associate 

 with them." Being perfectly tame, the precaution of cutting 

 its quills to prevent flight was not taken. Accordingly in 

 the spring of 1822, as might have been anticipated, it dis- 

 appeared, and its owner gave up all expectation of ever 

 hearing more of it. To his surprise it returned, however, to 

 its old haunts in the garden, in the end of October, when it 

 was secured; but, not seeming to like confinement, it was 

 soon allowed its liberty again. Though after this more 

 cautious and shy than formerly, it still continued to frequent 

 the garden and adjoining mill-pond till the beginning of 

 March 1823, when its visits ceased, and they " saw no more 

 of him till late- in the autumn of that year." Year after 

 year this disappearing and returning of " Neill's gull," as the 

 village boys called it, went on, and was duly noted till 1835 

 at least, when Audubon's volume was published, the latest 

 extract from Neill's common-place book being as follows : — 

 "11th March 1835 : The Black-backed Gull was here yester- 

 day, but has not been seen to-day; nor do I expect to see him 

 till November." In closing the account of this bird Neill 

 remarked: "A few pairs of the Great Black-backed Gull 

 breed at the Bass Eock yearly, and it seems highly probable 

 that my specimen had originally been hatched there." 



