NOTES AND QUERIES. 387 



three among them that appeared to be of more slender build and of 

 more graceful flight, suggesting to us at first Koseate Tern, and from 

 their behaviour we felt certain that they were breeding. We at once 

 decided to watch, taking up our position behind one of the dunes. 

 We had barely time to make ourselves comfortable and fix our glasses 

 before one of the birds alighted, and was immediately identified as a 

 Lesser Tern (S. minuta) ; a diligent search, however, failed at first to 

 reveal the eggs. Having resumed our watching, the bird was soon 

 down again, and commenced scratching and shuffling about, at last 

 settling herself down. We then made a concerted rush to the spot as 

 the bird flew off, revealing to our view, though partly covered up by 

 the sand, two eggs, which unfortunately she had broken in her attempt 

 to bring them to the surface of the drifting sand. They were quite 

 fresh (June 18th). As far as I have been able to ascertain, this is the 

 first authenticated record for the Outer Hebrides, and I believe the 

 most northern — and certainly the most north-westerly — for the British 

 Islands (Aberdeenshire). Of late years eggs appear to have been taken 

 in the Orkneys (Saunders's ' Manual,' p. 651) ; Aberdeenshire (See- 

 bohm's ' Eggs of British Birds,' p. 103) ; Aberdeenshire (Irby's ' Key 

 List,' 327, p. 55). — Percy F. Bunyard (57, Kidderminster Road, 

 Croydon). 



White Ringed Plover. — Through the kindness of Mr. Turner, of 

 Swithland, I have been able to add this very rare variety to my collec- 

 tion. Varieties of wading birds are rare. It was shot in Westray, 

 Orkney. — J. Whitaker (Rainworth Lodge, Notts). 



Food of the Black-headed Gull. — Referring to the circulars which 

 have been addressed to farmers, &c, by the Cumberland County 

 Council relative to the harmlessness or otherwise of this Gull, may I 

 be permitted to express my views as based on observations in Upper 

 Wharfedale in 1905, at which place I spent my holiday. A good 

 portion of my time was passed between Cray and Buckden Pike — a 

 wild and desolate tract, where the Lapwing breeds in some numbers. 

 Day after day whilst there Black-headed Gulls used to visit this tract, 

 each one of which was invariably mobbed by Lapwings, after which, 

 in some cases, they flew away to some distance, but frequently the 

 harried birds would only fly to comparatively short distances, quickly 

 returning, only to be again repulsed. This went on more or less 

 during the whole time I was there. These visits of the Gulls were 

 not mere chance visits across the sphere of influence of the Lapwings 

 in passing from one part of the country to another. They were here 



