on the Eddijstone. 263 
of immaturity which led to birds in that plumage being 
described as a distinct species under the name of E. port- 
landica, came close to the tower on their way westwards. 
Storm-Petrels visited us on five occasions during unsettled 
weather. On September 22nd they were very abundant 
during a S.E. by S. gale, when many were engaged on the 
lee side of the tower in picking up food on the surface of the 
water, in the shape, I am inclined to think, of small particles 
of fatty matter from our refuse bucket. A few were seen on 
the 6th and 8th of October during gales, and one came to 
the lantern at 2.30 a.m. on the 16th. 
When migratory birds did not present themselves, I found 
much to interest me in the habits of the Gulls, Gannets, 
Shags, and Cormorants, some of which were always present 
during the daytime. All the ordinary Gulls were observed, 
save the Common and the Black-headed species. I noted a 
fact regarding the food of the Herring-Gull which I have 
not found recorded in the standard works on British Birds, 
though it may have been elsewhere, namely, that this bird 
feeds extensively on seaweed, especially on the kind known as 
^* sea- thongs '^ {Himanthalia lorea). Almost daily masses of 
this and other weeds drifted past on the tide, and each patch 
had one or more of these Gulls in attendance, busily engaged 
in detaching suitable pieces from the long orange-brown 
strings, which they swallowed with avidity. They often 
squabbled among themselves for the possession of such 
food-supplies. I never saw the Lesser Black-backs, which 
were present in considerable numbers, pay any attention 
whatever to these flotsam patches of weed. 
The Gannets afforded special opportunities for observing 
their habits. These birds fished round the lighthouse in 
numbers, and with marked success, when the sea was rough 
or its surface agitated; but when the sea was calm and its 
surface glassy, they merely passed on their way to other 
fishing-grounds, well knowing that it was useless to attempt 
to capture the wily Pollack, the object of their quest, when 
there was no ripple on the face of the waters. The best 
fishing-grounds lay at the very edge of the reefs, and hence 
