Birds. 9163 
I have mentioned the herring gull, but although I saw a pair of these 
birds on the island, this species does not breed there, the blackheaded 
gull being the only gull to be found breeding. I discovered another 
nesting-place of the last-named species, apart from that which is 
preserved, and collected a few more varieties of the eggs, while the 
man I had with me took between thirty and forty of the common type 
to carry home for consumption, considering them much superior to 
hen’s.eggs. The variety which exists in eggs of the blackheaded gull 
is very curious, and perhaps there are no other eggs which differ so 
much, except those of the common guillemot. I may mention a few 
of the most marked varieties which I have taken. Common type, 
olive-brown, with dark spots and blotches. Var.1. Green, with 
dark spots or blotches. Var. 2. Light gray, with olive blotches. 
Var. 3. Pale sea-green, with a zone of spots at larger end. Var. 4. Pale 
bluish white, with scarcely any markings at all. 
The blackheaded gull, as well as some of the terns, used formerly 
to breed at the south end of the island, but they were so frequently 
disturbed by having their nests robbed, that they forsook that part 
entirely, and my guide assured me it would now be useless to explore 
there. Accordingly we continued our walk along the west coast, now 
inside the sand-hills, now on the outside, according as we were attracted 
by the note or sight of some bird we were in quest of. Crossing the 
foot of a sand-hill where the long grass was growing rather more 
thickly, a rock pipit rose within a few yards of us, and afier a little 
search we found the nest, containing four eggs, which I took. I sub- 
sequently found that they contained young birds, and in consequence 
had some trouble to blow them: they were of the usual size and 
colour, scarcely differing from some that I had taken the previous May 
on the Fern Islands. While stooping to pack them up a tern came 
towards me, flying at no great height, and as it approached, I felt 
certain, from the beautiful pink tint of the under parts, that it was a 
roseate tern. I seized my gun and stood up, but, quick as thought, 
the bird, seeing my movement, rose perpendicularly in the air. As it 
hovered for an instant, I pulled the left barrel, which held a cartridge, 
and thought the bird would fall: it dropped its head, shook it, and 
seemed to stagger a little, but recoyering itself flew on, and was 
crossing the water, when suddenly I saw it tumble headlong into the 
sea. To reach it was impossible, as the waves were carrying it away, 
and so I could only walk on in the hope that I might see another and 
be more successful. But although I subsequently saw and shot at 
three more birds, which I believe were roseate terns, I did not kill 
