NOTES AND QUERIES. 433 



see any egg taken, nor any deliberate attempt to take any by these 

 Gulls, but was convinced that the visits of the Gulls " were not 

 mere chance visits, but were for some special purpose." The only 

 inference is that the Gulls wanted the eggs of the Lapwings, or else 

 some special food from the ground whereon the Lapwings were nesting. 

 Until I can get some actual proof of egg-stealing by the Black-headed 

 Gull, I shall continue to believe that in this case the Gulls' object was 

 not in any way to interfere with the eggs or young of the Lapwings. 

 Although I know the district between Cray and Buckden Pike fairly 

 well, I have never witnessed anything of a similar nature between 

 Black-headed Gulls and Lapwings, either there or in any other part of 

 this district. I do not wish to doubt a single word of Mr. Butterfield's 

 statement, as I know him too well, and have known him so long, to feel 

 certain that he would present the facts as fairly and as accurately as it 

 would be possible to do so. But Lapwings are very jealous guardians 

 of their nesting areas, and will promptly fly at any fair- sized bird of 

 very diverse habits which happens to cross their chosen territory. I 

 will only say that for the past few years I have endeavoured (in this 

 district) to bring to light a single fact to justify the statements of a few 

 local gamekeepers that the Black-headed Gull is a harrier of eggs ; but 

 up to now I have not met with a single jot of evidence to bear out this 

 accusation — but I have learned much which tends to prove the con- 

 trary. Last year, on the margin of one of our large reservoirs (where 

 is situated the largest breeding colony of Black-beaded Gulls in this 

 neighbourhood), a Common Sandpiper made its exposed nest, and de- 

 posited its four eggs. The water rose in the reservoir, and presumably 

 covered the nest and eggs, and the birds deserted them. The water 

 receded and left the eggs fully exposed to view. Now this particular 

 spot is always a favourite resting-place of the Gulls, and as we 

 approached quite a score of them arose from around the Sandpiper's 

 deserted nest and eggs. But even at the end of the season (on July 

 28th) the four eggs remained untouched and intact, still neatly arranged 

 with the small end pointing inwards. No excuse even could be made 

 that the eggs were set, or they would have floated away, or would have 

 become deranged with the rising of the reservoir. This convinced us 

 that the Black-headed Gull did not interfere with Sandpipers' eggs, 

 whatever it might do with those of the Grouse or Lapwing. The same 

 year a nesting colony of these Gulls were greatly persecuted and fired 

 at by the gamekeepers for their supposed robbing the eggs of game- 

 birds ; so that eventually about a dozen pairs nested near to a small 

 tarn on a moor a few miles away. Fortunately the shooting there was 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. XI., November, 1907. 2 L 



