Scraps relating to Natural History, by C. M. Adamson. 855 



approaching the birds, taking into consideration the state of the 

 wind and tide and other circumstances. One who shoots at what- 

 ever conies in his way, useful and useless, is no company for him. 



I have a tind of affection for the place, as on it I have spent 

 so much time pleasantly, and have also derived so much, to me, 

 most interesting information from those of its productions I have 

 been so fortunate as to meet with in my frequent rambles. I 

 may state that I cannot be too thankful for all my life having 

 taken great interest in Nature's works : the study of these, at 

 any rate, seems to harmlessly occupy one's spare time, which 

 unfortunately, unless one has similar tastes, is too frequently 

 very ill spent ; and I here add my sincere thanks to Mr Grossman, 

 the lord of the manor, for his kindness in having given me per- 

 mission to follow my pursuits during the last few years over his 

 lands — an indulgence, I believe, not usually given, as he has a 

 great dislike to aU kinds of birds being persecuted and destroyed. 



Eichaedson's Aectic Gull. — Birds of the year, as well as 

 mature birds, in about equal numbers, arrive on the coast and 

 are about Holy Island from the third week in August, and the 

 species seems to keep passing for about a month. The numbers 

 coming seem regulated by the quantity of Terns they meet 

 with, on whose industry they rely. I have observed them for 

 many years at this time. I once shot one feeding on the refuse 

 from the fishing boats on the shore in the harbour. I think these 

 birds acquire their mature plumage in the autumn of the next 

 year after they are hatched, as I shot one as it flew over the sand 

 hills in August, 1 878, a very interesting and pretty bird. Although 

 it has many of the barred feathers (those first acquired) remain- 

 ing, it is a very light coloured bird, being white from the chin 

 to the tail, excepting the few barred feathers which remain. It 

 is the only bird in a similar state of plumage I have seen. During 

 a heavy squall with rain in the end of August, I could not help 

 admiring the flight of this Gull as it chased some Terns. It was 

 blowing so hard, and the rain was so heavy, I was glad to take 

 shelter within the look-out on the Heugh, and just peep over to 

 watch some friends coming over from the Law in a boat. One 

 would have thought it a time for even this bird to take shelter. 

 Not so, however ; he was as importunate for food as if it was a 

 fine day ; the wind and rain apparently had not the least effect on 

 his buoyant flight, and he seemed to be playing with the gale, 

 turning sideways to it with the greatest ease, and turning with 



Is 



