THE GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. 383 



ducks, that feed in the tide at Rough Island, and domestic fowl, 

 when at a distance from the house, take wing homeward when the 

 Lams warinus appears in sight, though with gulls from the L. 

 canus, down in size, they feed in company.* 



Lame Lough, December \'$>^Q . — In the mornings here, a i&w of 

 the great black-backed gulls usually go over the lough, taking 

 a survey for dead or wounded wdgeon, &c. Of seven of these 

 birds killed or wounded at a shot from a swivel- gun, one was 

 carried off by a L. marinus, and two nearly eaten by grey crows, 

 by the time (rather longer than usual) that the fowler reached 

 the spot. In another instance this month, a wigeon was seen to 

 escape from one of these gulls by diving very frequently ; — wdien- 

 ever a stoop was made at it on the surface of the water. The 

 best guide that the fowlers have here to their wounded birds is 

 this gull, and it is a common remark — " There^s the black-backs, 

 we'll see if there's any wounded birds." The chase of a wigeon 

 by one of these guUs was so long and close throughout, that it 

 was considered by the spectator equal to any he had ever seen by 

 a hawk, though there were certainly fewer turnings. One of these 

 adult gulls was observed here to fly over a flock of about a 

 dozen brent geese on the water. They arose, and the gull pursued 

 them fiercely for some time, but without effect, as they were 

 able to outstrip it in flight. The gull w' as very near them more 

 than once, but the geese escaped, by suddenly wheeling to either 

 side more rapidly than it could do. My informant had never 

 seen brent geese, unless wounded, pursued by this gull before. 

 Wigeon being laid out in an island of this lough to tempt 

 these gulls \\ithin shot, while the fowler lay in wait, brought them 

 to the place, though not wdthin gun-shot, for they espied , their 

 enemy. The soaring of several of them — occasionally three at a 

 time — directly above him, circling about, and turning their heads 

 gracefully to look around, was described as a most interesting 

 sight, while, all being adult, their plumage, viewed from the 

 ground, appeared wholly of a snowy tint. 



Mr. Darragh, 1848. 



