215 [Proc. B.N.F.C, 



white when fresh laid, but soon become dirty brown — stained 

 by the decomposing vegetation of which the nest is composed, 

 and with which the bird covers them over when she has occa- 

 sion to leave the nest. The black-headed gull is the commonest 

 of the gulls in the North of Ireland. In the breeding season 

 it leaves the coasts and frequents inland waters, where it 

 constructs its n^est of grass. It is a common winter visitor 

 t"> our gardens during severe weather, where, in a few seconds, 

 it will finish off all the food put out for the smaller birds. At 

 this season the black head is only indicated by a few black 

 feathers on the nape of the neck. 



Mr. Robert Patterson said the great black-backed gull 

 was well known in Rathlin Island, where it awaited the arri- 

 val of the young lambs, which it attacked and devoured, con- 

 sequently this bird was not looked upon favourably by the 

 inhabitants. Mr. W. Gray referred to the duration of life of 

 gulls, and said he had seen one alleged to be upwards of thirty 

 years old. Mr. N. H. Foster spoke of game birds frequently 

 laying their eggs in the nests of different species, and instanced 

 a mallard's nest observed by him in which a pheasant had 

 laid three eggs. Mr. J. Hamilton spoke favourably of the 

 paper, and Mr. Workman, in his reply, stated that the views 

 he had shown were the result of many years' observation, but 

 he hoped to add to them in the coming season. 



The fourth paper was entitled " Notes on tne Discovery 

 of Dopplerite in Sluggan Bog." by Mr. Robert Bell. Mr. 

 Bell said that Sluggan Bog, in the parish of Drummaul, is 

 the largest bog in County Antrim, containing upwards of one 

 thousand acres. This district was the scene of a remarkable 

 bog-burst which occurred on the 19th September, 1835. The 

 peasantry of the neighbourhood were much alarmed, as a 

 large body of the bog moved rapidly towards the River Main, 

 covering up corn fields and meadows and roads, in some places 

 to a depth of twenty feet. The bog offers a tempting field for 

 research to naturalists. A road cutting at Bally lurgan shows- 

 a fine section of peat resting on tough Boulder Clay contain- 

 ing many erratics of a North Antrim type. While searching 



