214 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [cuap. xxviz 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
Different kinds of Gulls: Large Collections of—Breeding-places—Islands 
on a Loch—Eggs of Gulls—Young Birds— Food and Voracity of Large 
Gulls: Salmon-fry killed by — Boatswain-Gull— Manner of procuring 
Food. 
As great a variety of the gull tribe frequents the Findhorn Bay 
and the Moray Firth as perhaps is to be seen in any one locality 
in Great Britain. To the uninterested passer-by a gull is a gull, 
and nothing more, whether the race is represented at the moment 
by that splendid bird, the great black-backed gull, Larus marinus, 
or by the small but elegant black-headed gull, Larus ridibundus 
of Linnzus, or as Buffon, alluding also to its laugh-like cry, calls 
it la Mouette rieuse. Yet, if closely observed, every kind of 
gull has its own peculiar ways and habits, all of which are worthy 
of note, and adapted.to its own manner of feeding, and providing 
for its wants. During March and April the black-headed gull, 
which has been absent during the winter, returns in innumerable 
flocks. After sunset they hold long consultations on the sands 
of the bay, and when the night is calm I can hear them from my 
windows at the distance of nearly two miles chattering and 
clamouring for hours together. In the daytime they frequent 
the fields, and wherever a plough is at work there are the black- 
headed gulls in thousands, hovering over the ploughman’s head, 
and keeping up such a continual screaming, that I have seen both 
man and horses fairly bewildered by the noise. A man left his 
plough and came to me the other day, as I was passing in the 
next field, to beg me to fire a shot or two at these noisy and un- 
invited followers. As fast asa worm or grub is turned up by 
the plough, down drop two or three gulls to scramble for it. In 
this manner they soon get the necessary supply of food, and 
return to join the assembly on the sands, where, having drunk 
and bathed, they remain for the rest of the day. After passing a 
