BIRDS OF LLEYN, WEST CARNARVONSHIRE. 501 



Tudwal's Island (in April), where I saw empty nests ; but about 

 fifteen birds, old and young, sat about the rocks. Some of the 

 former were magnificent birds. A small double-headed point 

 near Afon Wen is the resort of Cormorants. The smaller (west) 

 point and a partly detached rock were slightly " washed "; but on 

 the east rocks, when I came in sight of them, sat nineteen old 

 and young birds. The upper parts of the rocks were strewn with 

 fish-bones and bits of crustaceans, and the hollows were thick 

 with wash, the stench being appalling. Possibly the birds nest 

 on the lower rocks, which I could not see, the upper parts over- 

 hanging. I saw a few Shags on various parts of the coast ; they 

 breed on St. Tudwal's. A few fine old birds in shining green 

 dress sat peering out from the ledges in the little caves, and 

 were unwilling to move. Wild Ducks seemed fairly numerous 

 about the sluggish parts of Afon Penrhos and Afon Rhyd Hir, 

 and in the marshes. 



Adult Black-headed Gulls in full summer dress were not un- 

 common on the sands, and their laughing cry was sometimes 

 heard, but I saw only two or three immature birds (not young of 

 the year). I know of no breeding place anywhere near here. 

 None breed at Mochras Island now, if they ever did. There is a 

 colony in Merionethshire, forty miles away. It is difficult to 

 say what adult birds were doing here in June. Herring-Gulls 

 breed in small numbers on various parts of the coast. The mob- 

 bing cry of this bird, as the birds fly straight at you, rising with a 

 curve as they pass over, rather high up, sounds like " ag-cag " or 

 " ag-cag-cag"; it is not nearly so pleasant a sound as the ordinary 

 "akow" or " kow-wow." Some Gulls breeding on a little island 

 called Gull Island (Ynys Gwylan) are probably, partly at all 

 events, of this species. A nest on one of the islands was on a 

 broad ledge, close to the rock face, and not far above sea-level. 

 It was a large thick-walled, cup-shaped nest, made of grass-roots 

 and dead grass, with a few odd feathers worked in ; it contained 

 only one egg. I only saw the Lesser Black-backed Gull twice, 

 but it is said to breed on one of the islands. Mr. Coward saw 

 them at one of the southern headlands, and plentifully on the 

 north coast. One pair of the Great Black-backed Gull is said to 

 have bred on one of the islands; indeed, I have seen an egg 

 which was taken on Mercrosse two or three years ago. I saw an 



