LESSER BLACK-BAOKED GULL. 195 
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. 
Larus Fuscus, Linn. 
Pl. XXXIV, fig. 1. 
Geogr. distr.—Throughout N. Europe in summer; eastward to 
China and Dauria and westward to the Canaries, in winter straggling 
down to N. Africa. In Great Britain it breeds commonly on the 
coast, but more especially in the north; being more numerous in 
Scotland than in England. 
Food.—Fish, Crustacea, worms, and insects in all stages ; also eggs 
of other rock-frequenting birds. 
Nest.—A depression lined with leaves, dry grass, and mosses, rarely 
mixed with fragments of sea-weed. 
Position of nest.—On bare and barren islands, or near inland lakes 
in a tuft of rushes, or amongst heather and coarse herbage. 
Number of eggs.—2-3. 
Time of nidification.—VI. 
It is supposed that this Gull hunts by scent, as, when 
in search of food, it usually flies up-wind. Mr. Booth, 
however, makes some remarks tending to show that this is 
by no means invariably the case; he says :—-‘‘ When the 
shoals of mackerel arrive off the south coast in the spring, 
hundreds of seine-boats are engaged in watching for the 
fish to come to the surface ; as soon as they are sighted the 
crews row rapidly to the spot, and, shooting the net round 
them, frequently enclose large numbers. Should any 
Gulls, however, be near at hand, their sharp eyes are sure 
to detect the first ripples on the water, and, dashing down 
into the middle of the shoal, the fish are driven to the 
bottom, and the men, who have rowed hard for half-a-mile 
or more, and possibly paid out a portion of their net, find 
their time and labour thrown away, while the mischievous 
birds, with a derisive scream, sail off to repeat the per- 
formance at the earliest opportunity. While watching 
these proceedings off Brighton and Shoreham, I have often 
been requested by the crews of the boats to shoot the Gulls, 
the men declaring that, what with the Bird Act and the 
Gun License they were unable to help themselves, being 
forced to stand quietly by while the birds snatched the 
bread from their mouths.’”—(‘ Rough Notes,’ Part IX.) 
