ON SOME GULLS OBSERVED IN IRELAND. 27 



on which it began to feed so greedily that it let me bring up the 

 punt within shot, when it paid the penalty of its greediness by 

 the receipt of a charge of No. 5 shot from my cripple-stopper. 

 It was a fine full-grown bird in its first year's plumage. 



1880.— On February 27th I shot the Glaucous Gull that, for 

 several days past, had been feeding on the carcase of the bullock 

 lying on the shore. It was so excessively wary and watchful 

 that, day after day, I failed in obtaining a shot at it. How- 

 ever, this day I changed my tactics, and creeping a long way 

 behind a fence, I got within range, but the moment my head 

 appeared above the fence it was off, but too late to escape the 

 charge of No. 5 shot that brought it down dead. It was a 

 remarkably fine specimen of the Glaucous Gull (adult), weighing 

 3£ lb., carpus measuring 17 in., length 28| in. Some time 

 before I shot an adult 29 in. in length, carpus 18 in., but it was 

 not so heavy. 



Early in December I met a fine bird on the Enniscrone Sands 

 feeding on a dead bullock. It was so wary that I was unable to 

 get within range and, firing a long shot, it got off, though hard hit. 



1895. — On February 5th, when down channel near Bartragh, 

 in my shooting-punt, I saw a fine bird among some Herring 

 Gulls near Barrett's Island resting on the water. They all rose 

 on the approach of the punt, but it fled round Barrett's Island. 

 I followed, and coming within range, knocked over a fine adult. 



1901. — On January 1st I saw an adult bird near Bartragh, 

 its flight was just as slow and heavy as that of the Great Black- 

 backed Gull. However, I failed in obtaining a shot. 



1905. — On February 14th, when out in my punt passing 

 the point, I saw a bird that I thought was an Icelander from its 

 size, but on shooting it, it proved to be a very small, immature 

 Glaucous Gull. 



This was the last either shot or observed by me, as I left 

 the district shortly after. 



It is strange that more Iceland Gulls have come under my 

 notice than Glaucous Gulls, and also that I have seen only one 

 Iceland Gull in adult plumage, while of the thirteen Glaucous 

 Gulls observed, seven were birds in the adult plumage. Also, I 

 may remark that severe winters did not increase the numbers 

 of either species. 



