HERRING GULL. 589 



forbidden strangers to rob their nests ; for, gentlemen, you are the only 

 persons out of my family that have fired a gun on White Head Island 

 for several years past, and I daresay you will not commit any greater ha- 

 vock among them than is necessary, and to that you are welcome." 



I was much pleased with the humanity of our host, and requested him 

 to let me know when all the Gulls, or the greater part of them, would 

 abandon the trees and resume their former mode of breeding on the ground, 

 which he promised to do. But I afterwards found that this was not like- 

 ly to happen, because on some other islands not far distant, to which the 

 fishermen and eggers have free access, these Gulls breed altogether on the 

 trees, even when their eggs and young are regularly removed every year, 

 so that their original habits have been entirely given up. My opinion 

 that, after being thus molested for some time longer, they may resort to 

 the inaccessible shelves of the high rocks of these islands, was strengthen- 

 ed by Mr Frankland's informing me that many pairs had already taken 

 refuge in such places, where they bred in perfect security. The most re- 

 markable effect produced by these changes of locality is, that the young 

 which are hatched on the trees or high rocks, do not leave their nests un- 

 til they are able to fly, while those on the ground run about in less than 

 a week, and hide themselves at the sight of man among the moss and 

 plants, which frequently saves them from being carried away. The young 

 on the trees are shaken out of their nests, or knocked down with poles, 

 their flesh being considered as very good by the fishermen and eggers, who 

 collect and salt them for winter provision. 



Some of the nests which I saw were placed at a height of more than 

 forty feet on the trees, others, seen in the thickest parts of the woods, were 

 eight or ten feet from the ground, and were placed close to the main stem, 

 so as to be with difficulty observed. It was truly curious to see the broad- 

 winged birds make their way to and from them in these secluded retreats. 

 The nests placed on the ground were several yards apart, and measured 

 from fifteen to eighteen inches in diameter, their cavity being from four 

 to six. The lower stratum consisted of grass, plants of various kinds, 

 moss, and grey lichens, and the whole was lined with fine bent, but with- 

 out any feathers. Those on the trees measured from twenty-four to 

 twenty-six inches in diameter externally, and were composed of the same 

 materials, but in greater quantity, the object of which I thought mio-ht 

 be to allow more space to the young while growing, as they could not en- 

 joy the pleasure of running about like those hatched on the ground. Per- 



