424 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



on a boulder engaged in this performance ; they descended to 

 the ground, then the bird I took to be the female continued the 

 action very vigorously, and pecked several times at the male's 

 beak, when he eventually regurgitated some food which the 

 female at once swallowed. She then immediately reascended 

 the boulder. The hen Gull which I saw in coitu, immediately 

 the act was over, commenced to jerk and to utter the subdued 

 note, but the male did not reply in like manner, nor did he feed 

 her. The islet was next visited on May 8th. Two nests now 

 contained single eggs, eighteen days after the commencement of 

 nest-making was first noted ; one of these eggs was close to- 

 where I saw the birds in coitn on the 6th, and doubtless belonged 

 to that pair ; this nest eventually held three eggs, one of which 

 was chipped on June 5th. It must be noted, however, that it is 

 frequently several days subsequent to the first springing of the 

 shell that the chick gets clear of the egg. After watching from 

 the blind (my companion having left in the boat) a short time, 

 one of the birds belonging to the nest near which the nuptial 

 act was noted on the 6th, settled and stood about 10 ft. from 

 the nest. A Crow (Corvus bracliyrkynchus) then settled near 

 by ; he made a sudden swoop down towards the nest, and the 

 Gull rushed forward with upraised wings and drove him off ; 

 the mate of the Gull also came up and assisted in driving off the 

 would-be thief. After a while the Crow returned and flew past. 

 One of the Gulls ran forward as fast as it could and sat down, 

 on the egg ; the bird had retired a few feet from the nest and 

 stood there after the first raid. Now it sat on the nest awhile 

 and then returned to its former stance. Again the Crow flew 

 over, and again the Gull ran forward and sat on the egg. The 

 Crow then alighted in front of the nest, and its mate flew up and 

 settled behind. The Gull was very uneasy, calling continually ^ 

 and a raid on the egg was no doubt intended, but the sitting 

 Gull's mate rushed at one of the Crows with upraised wings and 

 put him to instant flight; the other Crow was also driven off. 

 The Gull continued to incubate the egg for most of the after- 

 noon, though it left it for a short time now and again and sat. 

 near the nest. Another pair was observed engaged in the 

 feeding ceremony. The female pecked at the male's beak and 

 then at the ground, indicating thus, it seemed, in dumb show,. 



