THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 413 



Thompson, in his ' Natural History of Ireland ' (vol. iii.), gives as good 

 an account of the Black-headed Gull as I have read. He says : — 



"^^I watched for a long time (January 1, 1842) about sixty of these 

 Gulls ^following the plough' in a field adjoining Park Mount, on the 

 western side of the bay, where it was beautiful to observe them, their 

 manner was so playful and full of life. They kept in a close flock, generally 

 within ten or twelve yards of the plough in its progress, and were frequently 

 not more than one or two yards distant from the ploughman's head. 

 Hovering en masse over the newly turned-up furrows, one or several 

 together dropped down as their prey appeared. They called all the 

 time." 



My own small flock of some eight individuals, which I have been 

 accustomed to keep for many years, my constant companions, afi^ord me 

 much pleasure, particularly in the summer's evening, when they stand 

 round their pool of clear water, making darts at all the insects which visit 

 it. They are well taken care of; and it is very seldom that one dies 

 of disease ; but in the spring it is common for some cock bird to fall a 

 victim in their continual battles. 



Mr. Thompson says (p. 324) : — " Our boatman gave the species the 

 character of being very pugnacious ; and we ourselves had ocular demon- 

 stration to that eff^ect." 



I can quite confirm the opinion of the boatman ; and at Scoulton they 

 are so bold that they knock off the men's hats when the eggs are taken. 



Mr. Thompson remarks again (p. 332) :— ''The preying of these Gulls 

 on moths has been alluded to in connexion with their breeding-haunts in 

 Mayo. They are commonly sought, in the summer evenings, so late 

 as 9 o'clock, in the counties of Roscommon and Leitrim, when flying 



