THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 323 



[Arundo phragmites), and tolerably well concealed by herbage. 

 A man living on the banks of the lake stated, that these birds 

 had been regularly in the habit of breeding there until three or 

 four years previous to that time, when a boat was placed per- 

 manently on the lough, in consequence of which they abandoned 

 it until the present year (1832), when the boat is much the 

 same as being away — lying at the edge, a wreck. It is said 

 that they made their first appearance at Portlough for the season 

 about three weeks ago, and that when the young birds are " out," 

 the parents may be almost constantly seen flying to Sheephaven, and 

 returning thence, carrying sand-eels in their bills for the young. 



On the 15th of June, 1833, a breeding-haunt of this species 

 in Lough Neagh was visited by William Sinclaire, Esq., and 

 myself. This is a narrow piece of ground, which runs out for 

 perhaps 300 yards from the north-east of Uam^s Island, with 

 which it is connected, and is merely a bed of gravel (raised a few 

 feet above the surface of the lake), that in the course of time has 

 become covered with herbage — grasses, rushes, &c. — and shrubby 

 willows of dift'erent kinds. About the roots of these, and over 

 the whole ground, the nests of the black-headed gull were jilaced 

 in such numbers, that we were obliged to be extremely cautious 

 in looking where to set our feet in avoidance of them : our 

 circumspection before every foot-fall, however amiable, appeared 

 in action rather ludicrous, reminding us of the manner in which 

 cautious ladies pause while crossing a snow-covered street. 

 These nests contained eggs of every number up to six inclusive, 

 though authors generally state that the bird lays only three. 

 They differed from those of the common tern (which here, were 

 mere hollows in the short grass, without a vestige of any extra- 

 neous matter), in being composed of di-ied grasses, rushes, and 

 such other vegetable substances as were within reach ; but were 

 not regularly formed like those of the kittiwake gull at Horn 

 Head. The eggs varied exceedingly in size, form, and colour, 

 not two exactly alike being seen in the same nest.'^ 



* This is more siugiilar than the statement of Mr. Sahuon in respect to this 

 species, that each laying of eggs in the same season (amounting to three if the 



Y 2 



