70 WHITE-EYED GULL. 



^^ Whether, and if so at what time of the year, the Adjameh tends 

 north of the eighteenth parallel I cannot say. I found their nesting 

 places in June in the neighbourhood of Djedah; further, at Massowa, 

 and from thence southwards to Perino. This was in July, August, 

 and September. According to my experience they do not breed in 

 large colonies, although in an area of a few hundred paces often 

 ten or more nests are found. These lie mostly far from the shore, 

 on more elevated spots — on coral rocks and volcanic islands; places 

 where desert grass and low half- withered bushes grow, amongst fragments 

 of rocks and small loose stones; but there must be some view of 

 the surrounding country, for the better protection of the nest. The 

 eggs, which seldom exceed two in number, were laid in a simple 

 hole in the sand, without any appearance of a nest. 



"Although one of the pair always keeps in the neighbourhood of 

 the nest, they rarely brood during the hottest part of the day. The 

 egg itself is clear earth brown, with a touch of sap brown, covered 

 with numerous small bluish grey and dark brown spots, almost 

 uniform in shape, smaller than those of its near ally, Larus Hem- 

 prichii ; slenderer, more oval, 20'" to 24^'" long, and 16"' to I85" broad. 



"I presume that the Adjameh has two broods. The young ones, 

 which are very varied in their markings, are soon after they are 

 hatched led towards the sea, to shallow quiet spots near which shore 

 vegetation is to be found. They swim well, and know how to shelter 

 themselves cleverly against pieces of stone and bushes, while the 

 parents endeavour to turn the attention of the huntsman. Later in 

 the autumn the separate families collect together in great numbers, 

 and rove about over the sea, mostly drawing southwards. Besides 

 fish, the food consists of crabs, molluscs, and worms. The White-eyed 

 Gull, however, seizes also on young birds of the smaller kinds, and 

 on grasshoppers, and is content with ofFage from slaughtered cattle 

 and any kitchen waste in case of necessity. The native appellation 

 'Nubia' is quite wrong." 



Male and female in spring have all the head, part of the nape, 

 all the throat, and the front part of the neck, black, with a small 

 white spot above and below the eye; a demicollar of pure white 

 encircles the nape, advancing to a point on the side of the neck; 

 below this is another kind of collarette of bluish ash-colour, which 

 extends to the sides of the crop and flanks; the upper part of the 

 body slate-colour; front of the neck, middle of the crop, abdomen, 

 and under tail coverts pure white; wing coverts slate-colour; primaries 

 black; secondaries bluish ash, with their external webs black, and the 

 points white; tail pure white. "Naked space round the eye and beak 



