XCIX. 

 LARUS MARINUS. (Linn) 



Great Black -backed Gull, 



The Great Black-backed Gull (besides a few localities on 

 the English and Scottish coasts) breeds in abundance on the 

 Orkney and Shetland Islands, but is confined to a few of 

 them ; originating in the care with wdiich it selects one 

 that is difficult of access, either from the precipitous nature 

 of its rocky sides, or from being surrounded by the waters 

 of some inland lake, where no boat has ever been ; such 

 as the foraier is the Island of Noss, in Shetland, and though 

 only at the distance of a few feet from an adjoining one had 

 always been considered inaccessible, till, stimulated by a 

 desire to procure the numerous eggs which covered its grassy 

 top, and which could be seen from the neighbouring cliffs, 

 a peasant succeeded in climbing to its summit, and when 

 there of making fast a rope conveyed from the opposite 

 rock, and thus establishing a communication for after years, 

 the benefit of which he, poor fellow, never lived to see, being 

 killed in his descent. This communication still exists in the 

 shape of a double rope, which being passed through holes in 

 the side of a large box, it is suspended and easily drawn over 

 to the opposite side ; and after the eggs are all carried off, sheep 

 are conveyed across to pasture on the rich grass produced by 

 the dung of the birds. When we were there it had not yet 

 been put in readiness for that year's use ; we had not there- 

 fore the satisfaction of enjoying so novel a bird-nesting 

 excursion. 



The Great Black-backed Gull makes a nest of a quantity 

 of dried grass, carelessly heaped together. The eggs are three 

 in number, and never (I believe) four, as stated by Mr. Selby. 

 The eggs of all the species of the genus Larus being confined 

 to three, at least as far as my own observation goes. 



